The Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' released a new alternative academic calendar for the upper primary classes, Class 6 to Class 8, to continue the teaching-learning process during COVID-19. The calendar, developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, or NCERT, contains detailed guidelines for teachers on the use of technology and social media tools. The calendar contains eight-week subject wise directives and is in continuation to the previous alternative academic calendar released earlier in April.
Mr Pokhriyal in his social media handle posted: “This Calendar contains detailed guidelines for teachers on the use of technology & social media tools to impart education while the students are at home.”
“The Calendar further aims to empower our students, teachers, school principals & parents with positive ways to deal with #Covid19 via online teaching-learning resources and achieve the best possible learning outcomes,” the Education Minister added.
Alternative Academic Calendar for upper primary stage (Classes VI to VIII) for four weeks was released earlier. I have launched the academic calendar for the next eight weeks today. @ncert @ciet_ncert @cbseindia29 @KVS_HQ pic.twitter.com/u7ZnrRdLEU
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) August 3, 2020
Mr Pokhriyal while launching the alternative academic calendar for the upper primary classes highlighted that this calendar will cater to the needs of all children including children with special needs. Links of audio books, radio programmes, video programmes are included in the calendar, the Minister added.
The alternative academic calendar has been designed with an aim to engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to COVID-19. The calendar contains an eight-week study plan for different subjects of the upper primary classes, along with activities, resources, and links to different e-content prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, or MHRD. 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 states or union territories.
This eight-weeks academic calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological and social media tools to provide education in interesting ways, which can be used by learners, parents and teachers even while being at home. The calendar has also taken into account several mediums to access quality school education while at home, which includes mobile, sms, television, radio or social media devices.
It also covers experiential learning activities including Arts Education, Physical Exercises, Yoga and Pre-vocational skills. it contains class-wise and subject-wise activities in tabular forms. This calendar includes activities related to four languages as subject areas-- Hindi,English, Urdu and Sanskrit. This calendar also gives space to the strategies of reducing stress and anxiety among teachers, students and parents, added a statement issued.
The alternative academic calendar for the primary classes was released on July 2, 2020.
