By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 03, 2020: THE Alternative academic calendar for secondary stage that is Classes IX and X was released by Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of Human Resource Development in New Delhi yesterday.

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 fun-filled, interesting ways, which can be used by learner, parents and teachers even while at home. However, it has taken into account, the varying levels of access to such tools-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media.

Shri Pokhriyal further said that 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- such as whatsapp, facebook, twitter, google, etc., the calendar guides teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or through voice call. Parents are expected to help elementary stage students to implement this Calendar.    
     
The Minister informed that alternative academic calendar for Classes XI and XII and subject areas will be released very soon. He added that this calendar will cater to the need of all children including Divyang children(Children with Special Need). The link for Audio books, Radio programmes, Video programme will be included.

Shri Pokhriyal highlighted that the calendar contains week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme/chapter taken from syllabus or textbook. Most importantly, it maps the themes with the learning outcomes. The purpose of mapping of themes with learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers/parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks. He said that the activities given in the calendar focus on learning outcomes and can thus be achieved through any resource including the textbooks children are using in their state or UT.

The Minister informed that the calendar covers experiential learning activities such as Arts Education, Physical Exercises, yoga, etc. This Calendar contains class-wise and subject-wise activities in tabular forms. It includes activities related to four languages as subject areas, i.e., Hindi English, Urdu and Sanskrit. He further informed that this calendar also gives space to the strategies of reducing stress and anxiety among teachers, students and parents. Calendar includes link for Chapter wise e-content available on the e-pathshala, NROER and
DIKSHA portal of GoI.

All the given activities are suggestive in nature, not prescriptive, nor is the sequence mandatory. Teachers and parents may opt to contextualize the activities and do those activities that the student shows interest in, irrespective of the sequence.     
     
NCERT has already started having live interactive sessions with students, parents and teachers through the TV channel Swayam Prabha (Kishore munch)( available through Free DTH channel 128, Dish TV Channel # 950, SunDirect #793, Jio TV, Tatasky #756, Airtel Channel #440, Videocon Channel # 477), Kishore Manch App(can be downloaded from play store)  and youtube live(NCERT Official Channel). these sessions are telecasted for primary classes from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, for upper primary classes from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and for secondary classes from 9:00 am  to 11:00 am daily from Monday to Saturday.  In addition to interacting with the viewer,  hands on activities along with teaching of topics are demonstrated in these live sessions  This calendar would also be disseminated by conducting video conferencing with SCERTs/SIEs, Directorates of Education, Kendriya Vidyalay Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, CBSE, State School Education Boards, etc.

This will empower our students, teachers, school principals and parents to find out positive ways to deal with Covid-19 using on-line teaching-learning resources at home and in enhancing their learning outcomes.

In order to engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to COVID-19 through educational activities at home with the help of their parents and teachers, the alternative academic calendars for students , parents and teachers at primary and upper primary stage have been developed by the NCERT under the guidance of the MHRD. This Alternative Academic Calendar at primary stage (Classes I to V) and upper primary stage (Classes VI to VIII)  was released by Union HRD Minister in April, 2020.