(a) whether the Government has noticed any impact of COVID-19 on education from primary to secondary and other higher level courses and its impact on the students; and
(b) if so, the details thereof course-wise and steps being taken to help students at each level with regard to reduction of fee, syllabus, teaching hours?
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a) & (b) Education being in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools, colleges and university are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments. The Ministry through National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has conducted a survey in the month of July, 2020 with the help of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to understand the scenario of Online Learning of school students in COVID-19 pandemic situation. With a view to addressing the issues related to gaps and/or loss of learning among students, during and after the lockdown, NCERT has prepared ‘Alternative Academic Calendar’ and ‘Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines’ with a focus on learning outcome. The guidelines suggest models for the following three types of scenarios:-
I. Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students without digital devices.
II. Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with limited accessibility to digital devices.
III. Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with digital devices.
The details of the survey and findings are given in Chapter – 3 of the Learning Enhancement guidelines, which may be accessed at the following links:
1. https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Learning_Enhancement_0.pdf
2. https://seshagun.gov.in/sites/default/files/update/Learning_Enhancement.pdf
3. https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/announcement/Learning_%20Enhancement_Guidelines.pdf
A multi-pronged approach has been adopted leveraging technology to reach the students. Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), Study Webs of Active-learning for Young Aspiring Minds(SWAYAM), SWAYAM PRABHA, MANODARPAN for psychological support, PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education, e-textbooks etc. are used by schools, colleges and universities to provide learning facilities. Where the internet facility is not available, SWAYAM PRABHA is being used to impart education through TV. Community Radio Stations and a podcast called Shiksha Vani of CBSE is also effectively used in remote areas where online classes are difficult.
Further, In order to ensure that children have access to education with quality and equity and to minimize the impact of the pandemic on school education in the country, the Department of School Education has issued detailed guidelines on 7th January, 2021 to by the States and UTs. The Guidelines, among others, include identification of out of school children from age 6-18 years, enrolment drives and awareness generation, student support while schools are closed, continued education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN). The link of these guidelines is at:
https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/guidelines_oosc.pdf.
For Rationalisation of Syllabus for Summative Examinations, CBSE has reduced the syllabi only for the purpose of examinations to the extent of thirty percent. This has been done in view of change in the mode of conduct of classroom transaction which is new both for parents and teachers.
CBSE, KVS and JNV undertook a massive exercise to build online teaching capacities of their teachers as soon as the lockdown started, to ensure continuity of learning through online means, wherever possible. Central Board of Secondary Education has developed Teacher Energized Resource Material (TERM) handbooks to aid teachers in aligning their classroom transaction to a competency framework. In addition, to realising the urgent need for building capacities of teachers in this area, activity-based and highly engaging modules were prepared on the pedagogies related to experiential learning and competency-based education and the need to integrate real-life situations into the teaching and learning process.
These modules are available on DIKSHA at:
https://diksha.gov.in/explore-course?selectedTab=course,
https://bit.ly/cbse-explrn-wb and
http://bit.ly/CompetencybasedEducation
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