New Delhi: Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank released the Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines virtually in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Pokhriyal said that during the present-day pandemic of COVID-19, institutions under the Ministry of Education worked together and attempted to take school education to children at home through digital means.
“The documents such as Alternative Academic Calendar, PRAGYATA Guidelines, Digital Education-India Report, NISHTHA-Online, etc are some of the initiatives that have been undertaken to maintain continuity in school education for children. Amidst efforts to provide school education to the students through alternative ways, concerns from various stakeholders were raised about the learning of those children who do not have access to digital resources. In addition to this, it was also revealed that due to unequal access to digital resources to get school education at home, the concerns of equity and inclusion can lead to deficiencies in learning of children,” Pokhriyal said, according to The Times of India.
NCERT has prepared Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines on the direction of the Ministry of Education for the present and post-pandemic situation. The guidelines cover three situations. Firstly, in which students do not have digital resources, secondly, in which students have limited digital resources and thirdly, in which students have digital resources for online education.
The Minister also stressed on the community working closely with schools to get learning materials such as workbooks, worksheets etc delivered at the doorsteps of children by teachers and volunteers.
The guidelines also suggest teaching local students by volunteers or teachers setting up television at the community centre and maintaining social distancing norms.
Under the guidelines, setting up a helpline number at the community centre with the help of members of the community and Panchayati Raj has also been suggested. It recommends the orientation of parents to support and participate in the learning of their children. Pokhriyal added that in all the three situations, the use and implementation of Alternative Academic Calendar is suggested.
The guidelines are based on a survey carried out by NCERT on the accessibility of digital resources in schools of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and Central Board of Secondary Education.
The guidelines will help children who do not have digital resources to get learning opportunities at home with their teachers or volunteers. Moreover, it will also help overcome the learning deficiencies of all those students who are learning at home through various alternative ways using radio, TV, smartphone etc, according to the minister.