Schools in Tamil Nadu to be mapped geographically under the Samagra Shiksha scheme

All schools in Tamil Nadu are being mapped geographically under theSamagra Shiksha (SS) - centrally sponsored integrated scheme.The annual mapping exercise is being carried out to ensure thatschools are available within appropriate distances from habitations asmandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

"Through mapping, we to reach out to all children in the age group of4-18 years and use the information to build new schools if needed,"said an official in charge of SS adding that this will help identifygaps such as habitations that do not have access to schooling.

This mapping exercise is likely to be carried out using a combination of on-foot survey, community based mapping and satellite imagery with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS), the official said.GIS will provide basic spatial information such as longitude and latitude of an existing school, location of nearby school, distance between two schools and distance from school to habitation etc. It will also help link various schools with the habitation from which its students come from.

"The information collected will let us know which school has more resources and which has less. This will help to ensure efficient andequitable distribution of resources within and between school systemsand help in planning a sustainable development strategy," the official said.

The exercise which started on Tuesday will be carried out until December 18 and District Chief Educational Officers will be the nodal authorities to carry out the school mapping.