HRD Minister launched first online NISHTHA programme for 1,200 Key Resources Persons of Andhra (file photo)
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched virtually the first online National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme for 1,200 key resources persons of Andhra Pradesh, in New Delhi, on Thursday.
HRD Minister of State Sanjay Dhotre was also present at the launch.
The HRD Minister said NISHTHA is organised at the elementary stage under Samagra Shiksha, a Centrally sponsored flagship programme of MHRD to improve learning outcomes.
He said the government had launched NISHTHA in face-to-face mode on August 21, 2019. Thereafter, 33 states and union territories launched this programme in collaboration under Samagra Shiksha. In 29 states/union territories (UTs) the NCERT completed the NISHTHA training programme at the state level. In four states/UTs (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar), the training at the state level is still in progress. In two states, it is yet to be launched. A district-level teacher training programme has been initiated in 23 states/UTs.
The Minister highlighted that around 23,000 key resource persons and 17.5 lakh teachers and school heads have been covered under the NISHTHA face-to-face mode till date.
"The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has affected the conduct of this programme in face-to-face mode. Therefore, for providing training to the remaining 24 lakh teachers and school heads, the NCERT has customised NISHTHA for the online mode through the DIKSHA and NISHTHA portals," Mr. Pokhriyal said.
He said Andhra Pradesh is the first state for which the government is launching the online NISHTHA programme for 1,200 key resources persons through the NISHTHA portal. These resource persons will help in the mentoring of teachers of Andhra Pradesh, who will take online NISHTHA training on DIKSHA later on.
Mr. Pokhriyal said the modules developed under NISHTHA focus on the holistic development of children and hence include curriculum and inclusive education health and well-being, personal social qualities, art integrated learning, initiatives in school education, subject-specific pedagogies, ICT in teaching-learning, leadership, pre-school education and pre-vocational education. All the modules are centered around learning outcomes and learner-centered pedagogy.
He added that these modules are made interactive with reflective and engaging activities for teachers providing space to educational games and quizzes for joyful learning by the teachers and school heads, which in turn will motivate teachers to implement this in their classroom for enhancing students' learning outcomes.
Pokhriyal appreciated the efforts of MHRD and NCERT for building capacities of teachers and school heads at the elementary level across the country through NISHTHA. "This will not only help in enhancing learning outcomes of students but also in their all-round development," he said.