The Rajasthan government has launched a peer-learning programme for PM-Shri schools to encourage school leaders to learn from one another and replicate successful practices across institutions. The initiative, which started in July, is being overseen by Chief Secretary V Srinivas.
Under the programme, groups of around 10 to 15 principals meet every month through webinars to discuss initiatives undertaken in their respective schools. The sessions focus on practices that have helped improve student enrolment, strengthen skill-based education, develop infrastructure and increase participation from local communities.
Rashmi Sharma, state project director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, said the webinars provide school heads with an opportunity to interact and share practices. She added that the initiatives discussed through the platform could also be useful for Mahatma Gandhi Government Schools, Swami Vivekananda Model Schools and other government institutions.
One of the practices highlighted through the programme is an alumni engagement initiative at PM Shri Government Senior Secondary School in Mandal, Bhilwara. The school involved its former students in its development and used the alumni network to mobilise support for improving infrastructure.
Vineet Sharma, the school's principal, said he had studied at the institution and returned as its principal in 2018. At the time, he found the school to be in poor condition. He proposed organising an alumni meet, which received support from members of the local community. Over the following three years, the school underwent significant improvements and was eventually selected as a PM-Shri school.
The peer-learning programme has also encouraged schools to observe practices followed by other institutions. As part of the PM-Shri programme, students and staff have received opportunities to visit schools such as Sainik School in Chittorgarh. These visits have enabled principals to identify practices that could be adapted to their own schools.
For instance, the PM-Shri school in Mandal introduced wall clocks on its campus after observing a similar practice at Sainik School, Chittorgarh. The initiative was intended to encourage students to develop a greater sense of punctuality.
Another example comes from PM-Shri Darbar Senior Secondary School in Sambhar, Jaipur. Principal Tikamchand Malakar said the 122-year-old institution was in a dilapidated condition and was close to shutting down when he joined around six years ago.
With contributions and support from the local community and philanthropists, the school raised Rs 1.5 crore for its development. The institution has since been declared a Centre of Excellence and has been converted into a fully solar-powered school, reducing its dependence on conventional electricity.
Alongside the monthly webinars, the Rajasthan education department has started district-level review meetings at selected PM-Shri schools. Officials and school staff visiting these institutions can observe the initiatives being implemented on the ground and assess whether similar practices can be introduced in other schools.
The peer-learning model is therefore being used to create greater interaction among school leaders and encourage the sharing of locally developed solutions. Rather than limiting successful initiatives to individual schools, the programme seeks to provide a platform through which other government schools can study, adapt and implement practices suited to their own requirements.
The initiative is in line with the broader objective of PM-Shri schools to function as exemplar institutions and provide learning and leadership to other schools in their surrounding areas.
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