Call to expand scope of Manipur’s STAR Education programme

GUWAHATI: The grassroots impact and confidence of parents in a programme for the development of education in Manipur have made education department officers seek its expansion.

The Manipur government had tied up with NewGlobe, an international education support organisation that has a presence in several countries, to launch the programme System Transformation and Rejuvenation of Education or STAR Education. The idea was to introduce scientifically tested teaching methods to increase learning attainment at a faster pace to ensure children’s future is based on their ability rather than their socio-economic background.

Within a span of just two-and-a-half years since the programme was launched, enrollment in government schools increased by 45%. STAR Education has so far covered 32,000 students in 511 government schools.

At a conclave held in the Manipur capital Imphal on Wednesday, several Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) and officers working under ZEOs suggested the expansion of the programme so that more teachers and students could be covered. The usefulness of STAR training made them bring their teams of academic inspectors and deputy inspectors along to gain mastery over school monitoring and support – nearly 95 officers of the department from all 16 districts of the state attended the training.