Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank released the alternative academic calendar for higher secondary stage – Classes 11th and 12th in New Delhi today.
The calendar has been developed by the NCERT under the guidance of the Ministry to engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to COVID-19 through educational activities with the help of their parents and teachers.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nishank said the 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 the varying levels of access of students to different tools and platforms-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media.
He said, the students who do not have internet facility, or may not be able to use different social media tools- such as whatsapp, facebook, twitter, google, etc., this calendar guides teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or through voice call.
The Minister added that this calendar will cater to the need of all children including Divyang children. Links for Audio books, Radio programmes, Video programme will be included.
Mr Pokhriyal informed that the calendar contains a week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme taken from syllabus or textbook. He added that it maps the themes with the learning outcomes.
The purpose of mapping of themes with learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers and parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks.
He further added 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 highlighted that the calendar also covers experiential learning activities such as Arts Education, Physical Exercises and yoga. This Calendar contains class-wise and subject-wise activities in tabular forms.
This Calendar includes activities related to four languages Hindi English, Urdu and Sanskrit. He added that this calendar also gives space to the strategies of reducing stress and anxiety among teachers, students and parents.
Mr Nishank said, all the given activities are suggestive in nature, not preive, nor is the sequence mandatory. Alternative Academic Calendar for primary stage – Classes I to V, upper primary stage Classes VI to VIII and higher secondary stage Classes IX and X has already been released by Union Minister of Human Resource Development in April.
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