Students’ Learning Encement GUIDELINES

1 Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 0 INDEX Introduction 2 1. Setting the context 3 2. Continuous Learning Plans: States/UTs 7 3. Findings of the Survey Undertaken by NCERT in KVS, JNVS and CBSE 17 4. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students not Possessing 25 any Digital Device 5. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students Having Limited 37 Access or Very Basic Technological Devices 6. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students with Access to Learning 45 through Digital Devices 7. Role of Various Stakeholders 53 8. Post Pandemic: Changing Roles of Various Stakeholders 57 Annexure I 62 Learning Enhancement Survey Tools for Assessing Teaching- Learning Experiences at Home In Covid-19 Period Annexure II 72 Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 1 INDEX Introduction 2 1.

2 Setting the context 3 2. Continuous Learning Plans: States/UTs 7 3. Findings of the Survey Undertaken by NCERT in KVS, JNVS and CBSE 17 4. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students not Possessing 25 any Digital Device 5. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students Having Limited 37 Access or Very Basic Technological Devices 6. Model of Learning Enhancement for Students with Access to Learning 45 through Digital Devices 7. Role of Various Stakeholders 53 8. Post Pandemic: Changing Roles of Various Stakeholders 57 Annexure I 62 Learning Enhancement Survey Tools for Assessing Teaching- Learning Experiences at Home In Covid-19 Period Annexure II 73 Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 2 INTRODUCTION The school education system in India encompasses a student population that is larger than the population of each of the countries located in the European and African continents,having more than 240 million students and million teachers across primary, upper-primary, secondary and senior-secondary stages.

3 The COVID-19pandemic has forced the closure of schools, and students and teachers have been confined in their homes. Due to closure of schools, the course of formal Learning in the form of teaching- Learning of curriculum, including academic calendar, has been disturbed. However, the nature of Learning is such that it never stops. Learning occurs naturally with interaction with nature, objects and individuals; sometimes with the learner not even realising it! During the pandemic, formal Learning that takes place in schools in the form of face-to-face interaction between teachers and students as well as among the fellow learners, has been replaced by the use of various alternative modes online, TV, mobile, radio, textbooks, etc. The States/UTs and Ministry of Education have been making efforts for providing education to children at their homes through alternate means of delivery such as, distribution of textbooks at homes of learners, telephonic guidance by teachers, online and digital content through various media, online classes conducted by the teachers, activity based Learning through the Alternate Academic Calendar released by NCERT, etc.

4 The alternative modes, though praiseworthy, have certain limitations. The alternative modes do not ensure equitable quality Learning for all students due to various factors such as unequal distribution of time of teachers, students having differential access to technological devices, and lack of support for Learning at homes in several cases. As a result, closure of schools is likely to lead to loss of Learning and deficiencies in the achievement of students Learning outcomes. With a view to address the issues related to gaps and/or loss of Learning among students, during and after the lockdown, the Ministry of Education entrusted NCERT with the task of constituting a Committee, comprising of academic and curricular experts drawn from NCERT, NIEPA, CBSE, KVS and NVS. The Committee conducted a survey in KVS, NVS and CBSE schools for collecting information about various digital modes being used by students to receive online education and their concerns regarding children not having digital devices.

5 Further, discussions were held with SCERTs (on ) to gather information about the initiatives taken up by them in their state/UT. Meanwhile, DoSEL collected a report from the states/UTs on their Continuous Learning Plans, particularly with regard to learners who have no access to any mode of digital devices. The ensuing suggestions for Learning Enhancement (LE) during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic are prepared based on the recommendations of the aforementioned committee and on the reports of states/UTs for the following: i. Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students without digital devices Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 3 ii. Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with limited accessibility to digital devices iii.

6 Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with digital devices 1. SETTING THE CONTEXT School education during the COVID-19 period is dependent upon the diverse scenarios of the technological devices available to students. Given the social, cultural and geographical diversity in the country, following only one model of teaching and Learning will not work. Therefore, a few models, varying in nature, are suggested here which may be further contextualised at the State level. Alternatively, based on these models, the State may have its own model as per the needs of its stakeholders. If States/UTs decide to develop their own model, the following six recommendations containing the common concerns and needs to be taken care of, will be useful: Learning Enhancement Programmes and Models need to take into cognizance following challenges and concerns of Learning during the COVID-19 period i.

7 Students not in Schools for a Longer Duration Since March, 2020, in majority of the states/UTs, students have not been able to attend school; many have also not given the final exams. In the new academic year, although schools and teachers have been trying their best to provide some kind of Learning opportunities to all their students, some students might still not be able to catch up. Therefore, when the schools reopen, in all likelihood, there will exist a visible gap in the Learning levels of students of the same class. ii. Students Having Parents at Risk due to Their Work Students come from different homes with parents in various professions. There may be some students who are likely to be at risk due to the nature of work of their parents.

8 Their minds may be continuously under stress, and hence, such students may not be able to learn joyfully like other children. iii. Children of Migrant Parents Children who have migrated with their parents to their hometown may lose out on schooling, as they are not enrolled in a school in the hometown, nor are they aware of what the state government has to offer to them. Further, they may have lost contact with the teachers in the city where their parents were working earlier. The education of such children is a critical issue. In the period of the pandemic, with an uncertain future facing all, while planning any model for Learning enhancement, the social emotional aspects of Learning needs to be kept in view. i. Learning Enchantment needs to be thought of differently in this very challenging situation.

9 There is a need to shift the emphasis from academic content alone to social emotional aspects or affective Learning . The affective Learning would enable the child to Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 4 connect to real life situations and would provide the foundations for academic content. Let the voices of learners be heard. Ask learners: Did you learn? What did you learn during lockdown? Can this be called Learning as you were not in school? Such reflections would help place Learning in a much wider context. ii. Learning is about the mind, heart and the body. Planners and policy makers have to constantly keep in mind that Learning is not limited to simple transaction of course contents. The present situation is an opportunity to focus on the unemphasised aspects of a child s Learning , such as values, feelings, and personal social qualities.

10 This will help in making the children into complete/holistic learners. iii. Conditions may be created to facilitate learners to evaluate their own actions, thoughts and Learning , in an ethical, responsible and fair manner. Students need to be sensitized to the idea of self-assessment as a reflective learner. Accessibility to devices Accessibility to digital devices needs to be kept in view while making any programme of Learning enhancement. With this in view, NCERT has brought out Alternative Academic Calendar which needs to be implemented across states/UTs. The following table shows the various scenarios of digital accessibility: All Students enrolled in Schools Students with Smart phone, Television, Radio, with TV and basic mobile phoneStudents with Radio and basic mobile phone only Students with basic mobile phoneStudents with TV onlyStudents do not have any technologyical device Students with Radio onlyScenarios of Digital Accessibility Students Learning Enhancement GUIDELINES 5 The Non-negotiable While framing models or action plans for reaching out to students with differential / nil accessibility to digital devices for Learning Enhancement in different situations, the following points may be considered.