Maharashtra edu dept to improve quality of learning over next two months

Under this programme, the main focus will be to make digital classrooms in all government schools. This means that each child must have at least one tab; interactive boards set up inside each class, equip them with android sticks, projectors and other devices that will help in engaging their attention.

The Maharashtra education department is set to accelerate efforts to implement its initiative to improve education quality in Maharashtra over the next two months. The programme is being hurried after the department failed to meet its Key Result Area targets for the year.

India, Mumbai...June 19, 2012..Disable children from Little Angels School, Khar West, Mumbai, India learn on the tablets in their school on Tuesday, June 19, 2012...Story by Namrata....Photo by Kalpak Pathak / Hindustan Times. (HT file photo)

Renaming the programme as ‘Jalad Pragat Shaikshanik Maharashtra’ (Fast-paced Progressive Education Programme), the department will take swift efforts to turn all the classrooms digital — give tabs to every child, interactive board inside each class, equip them with projectors and others. This would also help to discourage students from dropping out of school and to ensure that children out of school are absorbed into the formal schooling system.

“Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had given us targets to bring down the drop-out rate in secondary section. Despite our efforts we were unable to meet them,” said Nand Kumar, principal secretary of the department, in a government resolution issued recently.

Under this programme, the main focus will be to make digital classrooms in all government schools. This means that each child must have at least one tab; interactive boards set up inside each class, equip them with android sticks, projectors and other devices that will help in engaging their attention.

“Going digital doesn’t mean teaching only through projectors or interactive boards in class. It means changing the teaching learning experience in schools so that they can prepare students to become 21st century learners,” said Kumar. The department has already turned 25,000 schools in Maharashtra digital in the last year.

Teachers would be trained to become tech-savvy and develop online educational content which would be more appealing to the students, claimed sources. WhatsApp groups will be formed to promote exchange of ideas among teachers.

Training on effective leadership and management will be imparted to teachers to transform them into better planners and visionaries, added Kumar.

He also said that to curb drop-outs, rapid learning programmes would be implemented in schools, which would focus on improving the learning levels of academically weak students and prevent them from failing and dropping out of school.

The schools will also give education guarantee cards to students, which will help them when they migrate to other cities or states.