Bhubaneswar: As the students from class I to VII are likely to attend physical classes after a gap of nearly two years on February 28, the State Government has decided to conduct a rapport building exercise of the students soon after reopening of the schools.
Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Secretary, School and Mass Education held discussion with senior officials, experts in School Education and asked the officials to issue detailed guidelines.
Accordingly Department School & Mass Education has issued detailed guidelines to the schools to ensure the students do not face any stress in their school.
The school authorities have been asked to take care of their emotional well being by creating a stress free, enjoyable learning environment in schools.
The Department has lined up a host of activities to be taken up soon after reopening of the schools.
The rapport building exercise will be conducted for a period of one week. One week’s fixed time table will be prepared with only activities other than text book. Open discussion will be held with the students asking them to share good memories during Covid-19 pandemic period, hobbies, how they felt when schools were closed due to Covid-19, their love for sports etc.
Brainstorming sessions will be held in the schools by conducting word puzzle games, asking them fruit name, animal name etc. (both Odia & English), storytelling, painting, etc.
All the children will be asked to complete the picture by using their creative thought. Clay modeling /any craft work with locally available raw materials will also be done in the schools. College work (pasting of small pieces of papers within an empty picture), proverbs, etc will also be conducted.
“Care to be taken to select activities more or less subject related while selecting activities as well as involvement of all children to be ensured,” the Department said in its guidelines.
Baseline assessment of the children (from class I –V) will be done at the schools in Odia language, Math & English on March 9, 10 & 11 respectively to know their learning level. The assessment questions developed by TE&SCERT for three levels i.e Grade I, Grade II & III, Grade IV & V will be provided to the school.
The Baseline assessment will be followed by identification of learning status as well as learning loss of each child.
Different strategies will be developed by the teachers in consultation with CRCC & DIET faculty. The main role of the CRCC is to analyse the baseline assessment result of his/her cluster and develop a holistic strategy in consultation with the DIET faculty attached under DIET & CRCC linkage to ensure learning progress of each child.
The learning level chart will be developed & displayed on the wall of each class room to mark the progress of each child. Later, the schools will share the answer papers of the baseline assessment with the parents and teachers.
As per the analysis the teachers are to take up learning activities to recover the learning loss by forming same ability and mixed ability groupings.
The schools will conduct exercises like letter reading, word reading, sentence reading, reading with comprehension, writing letters, writing words, writing sentences, writing with understanding among the students to improve their language.
For Mathematics, activities like number concept, addition, subtraction, division, simple problems, shape and size etc. will be conducted among the students. Teachers can use various strategies to ensure conceptual clarity of the subject such as by telling story, game, recitation, picture, project work, etc.
The Department has asked the schools to share the progress of students with their parents every week.
CRCC to make weekly analysis of the progress of children of his/her cluster and submit the report to block and block to district. District has to submit its report to the State fortnightly.
Special attention will be provided to children whose performance is not up to mark in the baseline assessment.
While dealing with new concepts, the teachers have been directed to take care to refresh the related concepts of the earlier class for better understanding. More focus should be given on oral reading fluency and basic numeracy skill for grade I & II, the Department said.
The activities reflected in the academic calendar from January to March to be carried out strictly at school level. For Grade IV & V, more written activities will be conducted for language and basic mathematical skill development activities.
For Grade VI & VII, emphasis will be given to those learning outcomes which are essential for attainment of Learning Outcomes of the next higher class.
Parents will be motivated to send their children regularly to school as well as monitor the children’s learning progress.
The Department has also decided to organize a large-scale campaign at village level to ensure 100% attendance in school on the reopening day of the school by involving SMC and CRCC.
Prior to opening of the schools, PTA meeting will be organized on February 26 to have a detailed discussion on the activities to be taken as well as their role and responsibilities towards school as well as academic progress of their children.
In order to attract the children to school and provide them a joyful environment, School Preparedness activity will be done under which the entire campus will be cleaned, sanitized and as well as the school entrance will be decorated with color balloons and they will be welcomed through flowers and tika to give a festive feeling to children.
SMC training will be organized from February 25 to 28 to empower them on school safety, cleaning and sanitation, Management and other school related issues, the guidelines said.
