Follow NCERT academic calendar for online teaching, Haryana tells schools

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Concerned at the reported stress among Class I to X students on account of “unnecessary non-uniform” exposure due to online learning during Covid-19 pandemic, the Education Department has cracked the whip on schools asking them to strictly follow the alternative academic calendar designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The Directorate of Education, in its order to the district officials concerned, has asked them to strictly monitor the implementation of the NCERT calendar which would go a long way in making learning a fun for the students during lockdown period in the coronavirus crisis.

Officials said the order was the outcome of a number of complaints against certain schools which were beaming online content for six hour daily for the students in a bid to cover the syllabus. “Since there is no uniformity in the content put out for students online by different schools, there is a confusion among the students leading to mental stress among them, especially among students of primary classes,” the officials.

In fact, a meeting under Principal Secretary (School Education) Mahavir Singh was held here recently where issue of “too much” online content for the students was raised by certain officials leading to mental stress for the students and parents.

At the meeting it was decided to strictly enforce the NCERT alternative academic calendar, which the officials felt would go a long way in relieving stress on the students and parents and lead to uniformity in student learning.

Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said since the students were the major stakeholders in the education system their welfare was uppermost in the mind of the state government. “Every effort is being made to make e-learning a fun experience for the students till the time schools were re-reopened after the Covid-19 crisis,” he asserted.