Goa: Education department mulls home visits by teachers to start academic year

PANAJI: With reopening of schools for the academic year 2020-21, scheduled to start from June 4, getting deferred, the state education department is exploring possibilities of teachers visiting students’ homes for teaching.
While virtual classes are on the cards, education director Vandana Rao has also told the schools to consider sending their teachers to the students’ homes to check on their progress and help them if required.
“We can’t expect the entire school curriculum to be carried out in the same fashion online, as it can be done in face-to-face mode. Schools can explore the possibility of teachers making visits to students’ homes with social distancing, so as to follow up on any reading they might have given them, or to solve their queries etc by maintaining ‘2 gaj doori’,” Rao said in a note to the Goa Headmasters’ Association. She said it should be planned in such a way that the students are not unduly burdened.
Rao has also said teachers could be asked to come to schools after taking into consideration constraints such as limited public transport.
Most government-run and aided institutions have preferred to call their teachers to work on Thursday, when they are set to hold meetings to strategise on the conduct of online classes.
The move comes after the home ministry, in its May 30 guidelines, said a decision on reopening of schools would be taken in July and no students will be permitted to attend any classes.
“Fresh dates for reopening of schools will be communicated shortly after consultation with the stakeholders as per the guidelines issued by ministry of health and family welfare and ministry of human resource development,” the education department circular said.
The circular also said until the time schools reopen, the schools must support their students “in every possible way, making the best use of technology”. Training is being carried out in phases by the directorate and the SCERT on resources that can be used to conduct online classes.
Schools that haven’t planned their teaching schedule can call their teachers in after considering the constraints of lack of public transport, Rao has told school heads. She has said that teachers should be permitted to use school resources, if they wish to, until schools reopen.
“Whenever the employees (both teaching and non-teaching) are called to schools, they should strictly observe social distancing and other precautions. Further, the methods taught in the teacher training by DoE should be used for synchronous and asynchronous learning,” Rao has said.
As the third phase of online training is still on for teachers, Rao has asked schools to relieve computer teachers and others involved, early from school so they can attend training sessions.