Students Alert! Alternative academic calendar for Primary stage released by Union HRD Minister

With an aim to engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to COVID-19 pandemic through educational activities at home, 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 (Ministry of Human Resource Development). Union Minister for HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' released Alternative Academic Calendar for 8 weeks for the primary stage in New Delhi yesterday evening. Earlier four weeks Alternative Academic Calendar for Primary Classes was released by Pokhriyal in April, 2020.

Speaking on the occasion the Union 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 learners, parents and teachers even while at home. However, it has taken into account varying levels of access to such tools-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media. The fact that many of us may not have internet facility, or may not be able to use different social media tools- such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc., the calendar tells 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.

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Nishank further said that this calendar caters to the need of all children including Divyang children (Children with Special Need). It includes links for Audio books, Radio programmes and Video programmes. He said that the calendar contains week-wise plans 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. 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.

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.

This calendar has been shared with SCERTs/SIEs, Directorates of Education, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, CBSE, State School Education Boards, etc.  A video conferencing has also been conducted with all the SCERTs on the implementation of Academic Calendar.

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 and in the attainment of learning outcomes.