Unlike 2003 and 2004, where all roads led to a single venue to receive the LGP awards, this year (2005) each of the eight education districts of North East Karnataka had its own awards function. The idea was to give an opportunity for all the participating schools to take part. Thus, Bellary, Bagalkot, Bidar, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Koppal, and Raichur, the eight districts where the three-year pilot project of the Learning Guarantee Programme was conducted, were the venues.

Each function was graced by a senior education functionary from the Karnataka government, a partner to the Learning Guarantee Programme,. Thus, while the state Education Secretary, Mr. Vijay Bhaskar, was the chief guest at Raichur, the Commissioner for Public Instruction, Mr. Madan Gopal, was present at Bidar. Others who represented the government included Mr. D Jagannatha Rao, Director, DSERT and Dr. Rajkumar Khatri, State Programme Director, SSA, beside the local government functionaries.

Each venue was overflowing with head teachers, teachers and SDMC members travelling down from their villages. Some had hired private vehicles that displayed the LGP logos prominently. Their enthusiasm and interest showed that they were all attending a family function. Cheers greeted the Head Teachers and the SDMC presidents from the winning schools receiving the awards. Feedback reports were also handed over at the venue itself: block wise to the BEO and school wise to the head teacher. This prompted the chief guests to remind them on the need for follow-up action on the feedback report.

At all venues, where the HT and the SDMC president from a winning school were invited to share their experience, they explained how they made it possible, year after year and some consecutively for all the three years.

The pilot project is over but the spirit of the Learning Guarantee Programme is being spread across the state by the Government which has set up the Karnataka School Quality Assessment Organisation which will assess all the 45,000 schools.

Mr. T M Vijay Bhaskar, secretary, primary and Secondary Education, Government of Karnataka presenting the award GLPS Chukkanatti

Mr. Jagannath Rao, Director DSERT and Mr. Dileep Ranjekar presenting the award to GHPS Kannanayakanakatte

Mr. Rajkumar Khatri, State Project Director Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Karnataka and Mr. Dileep Ranjekar presenting the award

Enthusiastic participation – Jeep carrying the teachers from GGHPS Amingad decorated with the learning guarantee programme logo