-Reshma Ravishanker
The department of public instruction has announced a set of guidelines, preparing schools following the Karnataka state syllabus to conduct either online or offline courses, subject to pandemic-prompted changes.
Schools across Karnataka have been directed to start classes from July 1 and to begin with, classes will go online. The department on Friday released a set of guidelines to ensure there is no learning loss among children and that a student specific approach is adhered to, considering the facilities and technology they have access to.
Consideration has been made for children under all categories- those with internet, phone and laptop access, those with access only to television and not smartphones and those with no access either to internet or television at all.
“Bearing in mind the possibility of having either an online or offline school, schools must be prepared with all necessary facilities either for online or offline classes depending on the situation of the pandemic as schools commence on July 1. To bring about uniformity and teaching and assessment for the next academic year, there are the guidelines to follow,” a communication by the education department read.
If schools cannot start physical classes due to Covid 19 they have been instructed to have Pre requisites to ensure that children have continued education – to start online/offline classes – with an action plan designed from school to district level.
Action plan is to be designed taking help and advice from school alumni, public representatives, SDMC, teachers, gram panchayat/civic bodies and volunteers in the field of education.
Teachers must have knowledge about gadgets and technology available with all parents of students from class 1-10. It is recommended that such data be gathered for individual students along with educational qualification of their parents as well. In case there are no parents, any volunteers near the house of the child are to be identified and details gathered.
Based on availability of technology, strategy must designed to cater to student needs. Teachers of that particular standard must design strategies based on what facilities their students have. “Have students into groups based on availability of facilities for them,” the guidelines read.
In case students have no access to mobiles and television, teachers have been asked to coordinate with parents to identify neighbours whose phones or television could be accessed for students to get their lessons.
Local leaders are to be involved to design strategies for alternative learning among such students.
Schools have been asked to ensure that timely assignments and worksheets are given and in cases where there is no access to uninterrupted online education, parents or students must be asked to come to school in person and collect worksheets while ensuring that all Covid related measures are followed.
