Now, parents to collect ‘homework’ from UP government school every week

The teachers of government-run primary and upper primary schools will invite educated family members of the students, whose parents have not been able to join WhatsApp study groups, to visit the school premises once a week and share with them the week-long study plan and homework for the benefit of the students. 

As part of the initiative, elder siblings, parents, aunts and even uncles who are educated and can help in the kid’s study would be invited and urged to come to school and meet the concerned teacher, informed state basic education department officials. 

Director General (school education) Vijay Kiran Anand has issued detailed instructions in this regard to all Basic Shiksha Adhikari’s (BSAs) through a missive dated September 17, officials said. 

The initiative is to be undertaken during the second phase of mission Prerna e-Pathshala that will start from September 21. Instructions have been issued to all block education officers for strict compliance, said BSA-Prayagraj Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha confirming the development. 

He said that this new exercise was especially for school kids who have not been able to access study materials being provided through WhatsApp groups on smartphones, online mediums and TV. 

The missive instructs teachers to invite parents every Monday, in groups of 10 at a time, and explain to them the study plan for the week that they will be urged to ensure that their respective wards complete. The teachers will also try to solve their problems in explaining various topics to the kids while also motivating them to try and ensure access of their child to e-content that is being made available online. 

The teachers will also share with them various teacher learning materials (TLMs) and educational content videos that would be made available to teachers thrice every week. 

The order also instructs every BEO to at least interact with 10 headmasters of schools under them every day and ensure that these instructions are being strictly followed. 

The state education department in the past has acknowledged that a large number of students of these schools are still unable to access and use various digital academic contents being shared through different educational portals to YouTube videos, WhatsApp groups besides programmes being made available through Doordarshan and Akashwani. 

The state government has also asked officials to tap trader organisations, private trusts and even industrial organisations for providing digital infrastructure including setting up of smart classrooms in the state-run 1.60 lakh schools having over 1.8 crore kids enrolled in them across 75 districts of the state.