School Pairing, Operation Kayakalp & PM-POSHAN: Uttar Pradesh’s New Direction in Public Education
Summary: Uttar Pradesh is scaling quality and equity in government schools through School Pairing (sharing best practices between schools), Operation Kayakalp (19 norms to uplift core infrastructure), and Project Alankar (27-parameter model schools). Alongside, the national PM-POSHAN programme (Mid-Day Meal) fuels learning with a hot, nutritious meal each school day.
- What is School Pairing?
- How Students & Teachers Benefit
- Operation Kayakalp: 19 Essential Norms
- Project Alankar: 27 Quality Parameters
- Inside the Classroom: Teaching-Learning Reforms
- Life Skills, Sports & Arts
- PM-POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal): Current Rates & Nutrition
- For Parents: What Changes on the Ground?
- Implementation Tips for Schools
- FAQs
- Sources
What is School Pairing?
School Pairing is a collaborative model aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. A relatively well-resourced or high-performing school is “paired” with one that needs support. The pair exchanges lesson plans, classroom strategies, assessments, co-curricular ideas, and even community engagement methods. The goal is simple: no child’s learning should depend on a school’s ZIP code.
Core objectives
- Ensure quality, inclusive and joyful learning across schools.
- Share teaching methods, digital content, and remedial strategies.
- Strengthen Foundational Literacy & Numeracy (FLN) in early grades.
- Build teacher capacity via observations, peer-mentoring and micro-training.
- Promote equitable access to labs, libraries, sports and arts.
How Students & Teachers Benefit
Student outcomes
- Better basics in reading, writing and numeracy through shared lesson designs.
- Exposure to digital learning and foundational coding/ICT.
- Improved confidence, teamwork, discipline and communication.
- Career awareness via talks, alumni connects and community volunteers.
Teacher outcomes
- Peer-observations and quick feedback loops improve pedagogy.
- Common assessment banks reduce workload and increase comparability.
- Subject-wise planning days align teaching to grade-level competencies.
- Resource sharing (worksheets, PPTs, TLMs) saves time & raises quality.
Pairing is not inspection; it’s mutual growth. Both schools commit to monthly exchange visits and co-teach at least one lesson per subject every term.
Operation Kayakalp: 19 Essential Norms
According to the posters, 97% schools in the state have been strengthened against a set of 19 basic norms. These cover safety, hygiene, and learning-ready spaces:
- Clean classrooms and campus; safe drinking water.
- Functional & separate toilets; hand-washing points.
- Boundary wall, gate and secure entry.
- Electricity, lighting and fans.
- Proper seating and child-friendly wall art.
- Playground, basic sports gear and morning assembly space.
- Kitchen-cum-store and PM-POSHAN serving areas meeting hygiene norms.
- Basic repairs: roofs, windows, ramps, non-slippery flooring.
Why it matters: A clean, safe, well-lit school directly improves attendance, especially for girls, and reduces learning loss due to avoidable closures.
Project Alankar: 27 Quality Parameters
The posters also highlight that 2,295 schools have been benchmarked on 27 parameters to model holistic quality. These parameters are grouped below (illustrative list, aligned with the poster’s buckets):
Academic infrastructure
- Library corners and reading programs; classroom libraries for early grades.
- Digital classrooms, projector/TV, and device charging points.
- Science & math resource corners; basic lab equipment and safety charts.
- Computer lab/ICT access; internet availability and rules of use.
Co-curricular enrichment
- Art, music, craft and local culture clubs; display spaces for student work.
- Sports periods, house system, school teams and track & field events.
- Life-skills modules: hygiene, empathy, problem-solving, financial basics.
Foundational infrastructure
- Head teacher’s room; staff room; counseling corner.
- Age-appropriate furniture and height-appropriate boards.
- Play equipment for early years; Braille/UDL aids where needed.
Other facilities
- Transport/escort arrangements where applicable; visitor register & CCTV (as per local policy).
- Rainwater harvesting/green practices; repair logbook and annual safety audit.
- Disaster readiness: evacuation plan, first-aid and contact list.
Inside the Classroom: Teaching-Learning Reforms
Pairing is most visible in the lesson period. Here’s a practical blueprint schools are using:
- Monthly pairing calendar: Each grade links one period per subject for a co-created lesson across the paired schools.
- Common micro-plans: 30–40 minute lesson notes with objectives, steps, checks for understanding and exit tickets.
- Low-cost TLMs: Place value kits, fraction strips, word walls, reading ladders; all shareable via a “resource bank”.
- Assessment for learning: 5-question quick checks; quarterly shared item bank; data-driven remedials.
- Digital support: Slide decks, short concept videos and QR-linked practice sets.
Tip Keep a simple Pairing Portfolio: co-lesson plans, photos of displays, student work samples, and a reflection page—one file per month.
Beyond Textbooks: Life Skills, Sports & Arts
Future-ready learners need confidence, creativity and character. The initiatives emphasize:
- Values & discipline: respect, punctuality, teamwork, empathy.
- Communication: daily reading aloud, short speeches, peer feedback.
- Sports for all: daily physical activity; intra-house events; basic athletics kit.
- Arts integration: drawing concepts in science, math through patterns, local music & dance.
PM-POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal): Current Rates & Nutrition
PM-POSHAN provides one hot cooked meal on school days to support nutrition and learning. Recent national updates:
| Class Group | Material Cost (Per Child Per Day) | Effective From |
|---|---|---|
| Classes I–V (Primary) | ₹6.78 | 1 May 2025 |
| Classes VI–VIII (Upper Primary) | ₹10.17 | 1 May 2025 |
| Previous rates (Primary) | ₹6.19 | 1 Dec 2024 |
| Previous rates (Upper Primary) | ₹9.29 | 1 Dec 2024 |
| States/UTs may add top-ups. Foodgrains are supplied separately under NFSA norms. | ||
Nutrition norms (indicative)
- Primary: ~450 kcal & 12g protein per meal on average week.
- Upper Primary: ~700 kcal & 20g protein per meal on average week.
Menu planning that works
- Balanced plate: cereal (roti/rice), pulse (dal), seasonal vegetables, and a weekly fruit/egg/milk as per state menu.
- Local & fresh: procure from local SHGs/farmers; rotate menus by season.
- Safety first: hand-washing, hair caps/aprons for cooks, clean water, and labeled storage.
For Parents: What Will You Notice?
- Cleaner, brighter classrooms with seating for all children.
- Timetabled sports/art periods and display boards full of student work.
- Visible weekly meal menu and water/hand-wash points in use.
- Regular parent-teacher meetings with simple learning goals and take-home activities.
Implementation Tips for Schools & Blocks
- Pair wisely: Match schools by grade availability and distance; formalize with a simple MoU.
- Calendar it: One pairing day per month per subject; keep it predictable (e.g., second Friday).
- Track basics first: Use the Kayakalp 19-norm checklist; close safety and hygiene gaps early.
- Pick a starter set of 8 Alankar parameters: library, reading corner, digital lesson corner, science kit, art board, sports kit, counseling corner, and repair log.
- Micro-train: 30-minute after-school demos; rotate teachers as “lead demonstrators”.
- Showcase monthly: Photo wall or 2-minute student demos in assembly motivate everyone.
FAQs
Is School Pairing compulsory?
Districts encourage all government schools to participate; it’s designed as supportive peer learning, not inspection.
Does pairing mean extra workload?
Not if planned well. Shared resources and common assessments actually reduce duplication.
How are PM-POSHAN funds used?
The material cost covers ingredients and fuel; foodgrains are supplied separately. States/UTs may add top-ups. Schools keep transparent daily registers.
Sources
Official updates on PM-POSHAN material cost (cooking cost) revisions in 2024–25 and 2025–26; and ministry press releases. For local menus and norms, refer to your state education department circulars.
Link to official PM-POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) page on Ministry of Education.
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