CANACONA
The education department’s directives to secondary and higher secondary schools in the State to adopt one Anganwadi or Balwadi in their vicinity may give a major boost to Anganwadis in Canacona, but it has also posed a major challenge to secondary and higher secondary schools in the taluka.
According to sources, most of the Anganwadis are operating from rented premises but the existing high schools and higher secondary schools would find it virtually impossible to accommodate children from Anganwadis or Balwadis in their premises.
According to Child Development Project Office in Canacona, 55 of the 83 Canacona Anganwadis are functioning in rented premises. Nine of them are run in their own premises/GPS and 19 others are are run by individuals/Self-Help Groups/Communities.
A total of 926 children are looked after by 83 workers and 80 helpers in these 83 different Anganwadis and Balwadis functioning and operated in various parts of Canacona taluka.
The Director of Education has called upon secondary and higher secondary schools in the State to identify the Anganwadi in the vicinity which they plan to adopt, in consultation with respective managements and inform the department latest by August 5.
According to sources, there are 20 high schools and 5 higher secondary schools in different parts of the taluka, of which the government runs 6 secondary schools and one higher secondary school, while the remaining 14 are aided schools and 4 higher secondary schools.
Most of the government high schools and the lone and newly constructed government higher secondary school has ample space to accommodate more than one Angawadi or Balwadi in their vicinity,
However, most of the aided schools in Canacona are congested and unable to accommodate their own pupils with their premises.
It is left to be seen as to how many of these aided secondary and higher secondary schools will be in a position to accommodate Anganwadi/Balwadi in the taluka and take forward government legacy of imparting quality education at the foundation stage, which is considered the most important stage in the development of individual.
