High-tech mobile lab going to waste!

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 29: The Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) running short of innovative ideas, according to officials of the State Elementary Education, is taking its toll on a precious teaching aid costing the department lakhs of rupees.

The State Elementary Education did purchase a bus, as it looks like, in fiscal 2012-13. In fact, the bus is a mobile laboratory and a library meant for students of elementary education in rural Assam. Through the mobile laboratory students were taught, practically. The mobile library did extend much help to the teacher and the taught in carrying out classes. The teaching through such an aid is demonstrative, in which the teacher has to play the role more of a demonstrator than of a lecturer.  

The SSA is here to extend academic help to the Elementary Education. The programme went on smoothly for two/three years. Now the enthusiasm vanished into thin air.

Now the precious bus is lying idle on the office premises of the Directorate of Elementary Education, Kahilipara in the city. When asked, a section of section of officials of the department said that the scheme for academic help to students is prepared by the SSA even as the funds are borne by the State Elementary Education. “Last year the SSA failed to provide us any scheme. We’re yet to get any such scheme from the SSA this year as well. We’ve no way out but to let the bus lie idle,” the officials said.

The sad part of the episode is that the weather is taking its toll on the precious bus. If immediate measures are not taken, the high-tech teaching aid will be of no use. How come those at the helm of affairs let the precious teaching aid (the bus) go to waste, right in front of them? Those at the helm of affairs need to keep it into their minds that iron and steel are susceptible to corrosion that may damage the high-tech laboratory and the library.