P. Arun Kumar dropped out of formal education system when he was in 11th class in 2021 and started working in a furniture shop in Vizianagaram.
Principal Secretary, School Education, Praveen Prakash, during his visit to the district, interacted with Arun Kumar and convinced him to enrol his name in 12th class through an open school and opt for a combination of commerce, economics and civics, in addition to a skill course. The owner of the furniture shop, Praveen, has also promised to extend his support to the boy’s education.
Citing Arun Kumar’s case, Mr. Praveen Prakash has made an appeal to the owners of business houses, factories and other commercial establishments where youngsters who have not qualified in Classes 10 or 12 are engaged to encourage them to enrol in the open school, and a parallel vocational training at a skill centre.
“Knowledge and skills are increasingly becoming the primary determinants of economic growth and social development. We want our State economy to prosper by educating our young population,” said the Principal Secretary.
The open school system caters to the needs of learners up to the intermediate level for students who cannot continue their studies in the formal system. Under this system, the authorities provide opportunities for education up to the pre-degree level through open and distance learning (ODL) mode.
Mr. Praveen Prakash has also asked the District Education Officers (DEOs) across the State to ensure that teachers complete the syllabus for the next formative assessment examinations for Classes 1 to 10, scheduled to begin on October 1, and quarterly examinations for Classes 11 and 12 from October 10.
He said to check if the teachers have completed the syllabus and corrected the notes of the students, he would make random phone calls to the parents and students of Classes 1 to 10, on September 28. He would repeat the exercise for students of Classes 11 and 12 on October 5, he said, asking the DEOs to inform this to the teachers and junior lecturers.
