Chennai: Uncertainty of reopening schools for younger classes and the government plans to take school to places near students and involve local volunteers to ensure everyone has numassity and literacy skills.
The school was reopened for class IX to XII on September 1, but there was no decision taken to reopen for class I to VIII.
To overcome the problem among parents, the Department of School Education plans campaigns throughout the state to reduce loss of learning and to ensure the basic literacy among class I to VIII children, said source.
Teachers and education volunteers will go to areas where students live and involve them in activities and do classes for one to two hours a day until school reopened.
This will be modeled in the ‘Veethi vaguparai’ (road) method followed by NGOs.
This campaign is likely to be associated with the ‘Ennum Ezhuthum’ mission to ensure children can understand and have basic arithmetic skills when they are eight years old.
The school education department on Saturday held a second meeting with 10 non-governmental organizations including Tamil Nadu Science Forum (TNSF), Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iakkam, forum for child-friendly schools and Indian assistance.
“The department plans to standardize the resource material used by various NGOs.
It was studying the pros and cons of taking classes to nearby hamlets until the reopening of the school,” said a participant.
Aruna Rathnam, a former educational specialist with UNICEF, said it was good, the government realized the anxiety of parents about learning losses and wanted to overcome them.
Involving volunteers will help because teachers may not be able to cover many hamlets, he adds.
N Madhavan, a member of the TNSF State Executive Committee, said that loss of learning cannot be compensated only by teachers and schools.
“People need to participate in the compensation process of loss, and provide emotional psychological support to children.
The Government of Tamil Nadu understands it and has initiated a discussion,” he said.
TNSF has the expertise to successfully run “Arivoli Iakkam”, a total literacy campaign launched in the early 1990s throughout the state.
“When done, it can set an example for all countries.” NGO representatives also suggested that the government make an agenda campaign for the Grama Sabha meeting scheduled to be held on October 2.