New Delhi : An alternative academic calendar designed to meaningfully engage students during their stay at home due to coronavirus pandemic was released by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ here on Thursday.
The alternative academic calendar has been developed by the NCERT under the guidance of the MHRD.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that this calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological tools and social media tools available for imparting education in a fun-filled, interesting way, which can be used by students to learn while at home.
“However, the varying levels of access to such tools — mobile, radio, television, SMS and various social media– has been taken into account. The fact that many of us may not have internet facility in the mobile, or may not be able to use different social media tools, so the calendar guides teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS or mobile call. Parents are expected to help elementary stage students to implement this calendar,” the Minister added.
The HRD Minister said that all the classes from I-XII and subject areas will be covered under this calendar. This calendar will cater to the need of all children including Divyang children (Children with special needs). Link for audio-books, radio programmes, video programmes will be included.
The Minister highlighted that the calendar also covers experiential learning activities such as Arts Education, Physical Exercises, yoga, pre-vocational skills, etc.
“This calendar contains class-wise and subject-wise activities in tabular forms. This calendar includes activities related to four languages as subject areas, i.e., Hindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit. The calendar also gives space to the strategies of reducing stress and anxiety among teachers, students and parents. It includes a link for chapter-wise e-content available on the e-pathshala, NROER and DIKSHA portal of GoI,” Pokhriyal said.
The calendar would be disseminated through DTH Channels and also conducting video conferencing with SCERTs, Directorates of Education, SCERTs, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, CBSE, State School Education Boards, etc. (ANI)
