Edu Dept to dedicate virtual Teachers' Day to online education

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 3

Though the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has forced the closure of schools in March this year, but it has failed to dampen the spirit of teachers in Department of School Education Punjab, which conceptualised ‘Ghar Baithe Sikhiya’ programme to cater to educational needs as well as hopes and aspirations of the students and their parents.

Amazingly, the Education Department, coupled with enthusiasm of the school teachers has virtually transformed the unprecedented challenge into opportunity to prove its mettle. The Punjab Education Department has decided to dedicate the ‘Virtual Celebration of Teachers Day’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of former president of India, Dr Radhakrishnan, to the relentless dedicated efforts being put in by the school teachers during the present era of unprecedented pandemic.

To salute the zeal and enthusiasm of the teachers to reach out the students via different modes of digital applications, the students have also been gearing up to express their gratitude towards their teachers by sending their messages through audio video, selfies via different digital modes, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram. The department has exhorted the students to use hashtags – “#TeachersFromPunjabAqy”, ” #ThankYouPunjabTeachers” while sending their messages on social media .

Under Ghar Baithe Sikhiya programme, the Punjab Education Department roped in National Swayam Prabha TV channel, DD Punjabi TV channel, All India Radio channel along with some other radio channels as well as resorting to the latest applications of information technology, including WhatsApp, YouTube, Skype, Google classroom etc. to reach out to students. The school teachers prepared audio video lectures as per the prescribed syllabus and given assignments by the Punjab Education Department. The schedule of lessons being broadcast on TV/ radio channels has been being circulated to the teachers, students, parents through a well-knit network of district mentors, block mentors, block master trainers, cluster master trainers, zila sikhiya sudhar teams, print and social media teams.