Upgrading MGLCs needs to be given focus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though they created utter confusion with the decision on the trifurcation of LSG Department, the UDF Government has been able to clear a long-time confusion by taking a decision regarding the multi-grade learning centres. The  retaining of  multi-grade learning centres (MGLCs) in the state, which was okayed by the Cabinet the other day, would help rescue these centres which are the only means of schooling for many children residing tin the tribal and coastal areas of the state.However,   there are many hurdles on the way.  For one thing, the decision could run counter to the objective of  Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act which stresses quality education to all children. MGLCs are often referred to as a sub-standard model of schooling by educational experts. Under the RTE Act,  every child should have  opportunity to study in a regular school .The upgrading of  MGLCs to regular schools needs to be implemented and this calls for allocating funds and deploying resources including trained teachers to remote and coastal belts.  The real task is to give fresh impetus to MGLCs which have almost become non-functional in the last one year owing to the inability of the previous LDF Government to decide on its functioning.   The impression that MGLCs would be shut down led to the degeneration of many centres which were otherwise going in full throttle.One glaring example of this is the present plight of many MGLCs in Thiruvananthapuram. The volunteers or trainers in these centres were not even included in the training session held recently by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. ‘‘The sanction to go ahead with the working of MGLCs might raise the moral question of it being against the RTE Act.  But it is not legally against RTE Act.  We will have to upgrade them into schools by 2013 which is not a Herculean task,’’  said General Education Secretary James Varghese.  According to Education Department officials,  out of the 454 MGLCs in the state, only a little more than 100 are situated in the tribal belt where they are in great need. There are many places where they could be scraped where their need is only limited.  Now that the government had decided to move ahead,   it would have to begin from scratch, decide on the method of upgradation, its possibilities, find funds and  avoid drop-out rate of children.