Learning Loss due to Covid

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Suggestions to avoid learning loss in Primary Education

Conduct a survey of out-of-school and dropout children (along with 6 year old children to be enrolled in the 1st standard) with the help of Anganwadi workers, Aadhaar data, birth records with the local administration, etc. Ensure all children are covered for education in the next academic year, irrespective of reopening of schools.

Ensure delivery of textbooks to all children across the state within the month of June. Get help from the Indian Post or private logistics partners.

Distribute workbooks to students across the state and ensure periodic distribution and collection of completed workbooks so that the teachers will have written records of learning assessment of the children, which can further be used for annual evaluation.

The District Institute of Education Training (DIET) Pune has launched a Learning Loss Recovery Programme (LLRP). Ensure quick and effective implementation of this programme across the state.

The LLRP provides guidelines for the teachers and parents to continue education of the children in case the schools do not reopen or partially reopen in the next academic year. The programme suggests involving educated parents and community youth as volunteers to support the parents in educating their children. Local NGOs can be involved in training and coordinating with the volunteers for conducting educational activities for the children in the communities. However, the government should seriously think of paying these volunteers instead of expecting charity at community level.

Check the option of setting up Satellite Centres in the communities, where 10 to 15 students can gather to use internet connection, computers, tablets, books, and other teaching learning material for online and offline education. These Satellite Centres can be connected to the nearby Government schools. The teachers can periodically visit these centres for guidance and evaluation. Community volunteers and/or facilitators among the parents can conduct a few activities here according to the schedule prepared and declared by the school.

We have used BALA - Building As a Learning Aid concept to enhance the learning process of the child. Can we develop a similar concept CALA - Community As a Learning Aid, where public properties, walls, temples, parks, buses, etc. can be used for the purpose of learning?