JEPC to set up education policy lab

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation to establish the Jharkhand Policy Lab for Education System Transformation, an institutional platform aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking in school education.

The agreement was signed in Ranchi in the presence of officials from the school education and literacy department, the JEPC, and representatives of the organisation.

Officials said the policy lab will focus on areas such as pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, teacher professional development
and student wellbeing.

JEPC state project director Shashi Ranjan said, “The initiative is intended to strengthen the use of evidence and innovation in educational planning and implementation. The policy lab represents an important step towards building a culture where evidence, innovation and reflection inform policy and practice.”

JEPC state programme officer Avinav Kumar said, “The platform would help create stronger linkages between research and policymaking. The Jharkhand Policy Lab creates an opportunity for the education system to become more reflective, responsive and collaborative.”

Officials said the initiative will operate through research studies, pilot projects, policy consultations and capacity-building activities over an initial 18-month roadmap under a three-year agreement.

The Policy Lab is also expected to focus on issues affecting children from tribal, rural, migrant and socio-economically disadvantaged communities. It will engage with researchers, universities, and education experts to generate evidence that can support decision-making within the state's public education system.