Online assessments for classes 1-8 to start next week

Assessments for students in classes 1 to 8 in government schools across the city will be conducted online from next week for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic

Assessments for students in classes 1 to 8 in government schools across the city will be conducted online from next week for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Haryana government recently clarified that it planned to continue with online classes for such students for now. The education department will now conduct these monthly assessment tests through an app called AVSAR, which has been developed by it recently. Teachers said that the tests will give them some idea about the progress made by students since physical school visits for these students are restricted.

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Schools across the country were closed last March and classes are being held remotely to contain the spread of Covid-19. While schools in Haryana reopened for physical classroom sessions in October for students in classes 9 to 12, they are yet to start physical classroom sessions for students in classes 1-8.

Raj Kumar, school principal, Government Senior Secondary School in Islampur, said that the monthly assessment tests would be conducted for students starting from next week for the first time since schools were shut in March. Kumar said assessment test for students in these grades were needed since students were not allowed to visit the school for doubt-clearing sessions, which helped teachers in mapping students’ progress. “We have sent videos to students which will help them in navigating through the app interface. This is for the first time that we will be holding the monthly assessment test in a structured manner through this app,” said Kumar. He said that the lack of smartphones might become a hurdle in the assessment process.

She said that while many students had made arrangements for a phone, volunteers or Shiksha Mitras appointed by the school will help those students who do not have a smartphone. The education department had appointed Shiksha Mitra in August. As per the department’s definition, a Shiksha Mitra can be any parent, sibling, relative, neighbour or community volunteer, who has an internet-enabled smartphone and is in a position to lend the phone to the student daily for some time.

Deputy district education officer Kalpna Singh said that while the lack of smartphones was a concern among students in classes 1 to 8, an assessment mechanism was needed for charting the progress of students. “The tests will be starting in the coming week. We will tap into volunteers or other resources if students face any hurdles,” said Singh.