Education department working on English- learning application to make students competitive

In an initiative aimed at giving a fillip to the English-language skills of students in government schools across the state, the state education department is developing

In an initiative aimed at giving a fillip to the English-language skills of students in government schools across the state, the state education department is developing an English-learning application for secondary and senior secondary students. The application will help students improve their language skills through the process of self-learning, said officials familiar with the project.

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Ritu Chowdhary, district project coordinator, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, an overarching programme for school education extending from pre-school to class-12, said that the department had sought bids from companies and firms for the development and execution of the application.

“We have received guidelines about the English-learning application, and the department is looking forward to developing it in the shortest possible time. The application will be structured in such a manner that students will be able to practise their writing and speaking skills and gain confidence,” said Chowdhary, adding that the application would be used to enhance the functional English capabilities of around 5.5 lakh students in secondary and senior secondary schools across the state.

She also said that the application would give an edge to students while pursuing job opportunities. “Many times, students, who apply for vocational training in retail and other businesses, struggle due to their poor English-speaking skills. It will be very beneficial for their job prospects in the future,” said Chowdhary.

The application will include content and quizzes based on the syllabi for various classes. School, district and state-wise rankings of students post-assessment will also be available to students, teachers, monitoring team, and various stakeholders. Officials from the education department will also be able to monitor the implementation status of the project.

“Language experts will be roped in by the firm to ensure that the competency level of students is met. Further, the assessment of progress will foster a positive competitive spirit among students,” said Chowdhary.

When asked about the accessibility of cell phones among students, she said that the project was still at an initial stage and a decision on the same was yet to be taken. “Some schools have tablets. But as of now, we don’t know if more cell phones will be provided to students. They can download the application at home as well,” she said.