Mira Bhayandar: In a first of its kind initiative in the country, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) commissioner Sanjay Katkar has developed a Centre of Excellence (CoE) designed to foster collaboration between the governance, nongovernmental organisations (NGO’s) and other stakeholders to support, research and implement best practices for specific citizen friendly focus areas.

About The Centre Of Excellence

In its first step the CoE is ready with detailed plans to reshape the educational landscape aimed at addressing diverse and complex needs of students. At the heart of the CoE’s philosophy lies an understanding of the multifaceted needs of students—ranging from foundational literacy and numeracy to social-emotional learning and career readiness.

Emphasizing on the importance of unified efforts, Katkar said, “Given the wide spectrum of students needs and the specialized expertise of various NGOs, true progress can only be achieved through their seamless collaboration. The CoE serves as the critical mechanism to facilitate and coordinate this partnership. This holistic approach will bring together stakeholders to ensure meaningful and impactful solutions.”

Acting as a strategic and operational hub, the CoE has been conceptualized as a vital bridge to address the gap between the governance, nongovernmental organisations (NGO’s) and other stakeholders who positively responded to this vision. Before drafting solutions, Katkar engaged in six month-long intensive brainstorming sessions with consultants, NGOs, teachers, principals, and education experts which revealed critical insights. Moreover, the discovery that 70 percent of students came from non-Marathi speaking families led to the innovative parent-assistant program to ensure that every child has access to quality education and the tools they need for success in life and careers.

“Each stakeholder held a piece of the puzzle as teachers showed us classroom realities, NGOs shared intervention insights and parents revealed community challenges. This comprehensive understanding became the foundation of the CoE’s integrated approach,” says lead consultant Mahesh Rasal.

About The Key Guiding Principles

The CoE is based on key guiding principles including community-aligned education, empowering teachers instead of replacements while ensuring there is no additional burden on them, strategic interventions, meticulous planning in compliance with the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). Currently, the MBMC’s education department operates 36 schools imparting education in Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati and semi-English mediums up to the X standard to around 9,250 students including 4,625 girls. 


Rahul Dev

Cricket Jounralist at Newsdesk

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