Sargam, a programme launched by the district unit of the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, to get specialist teachers to promote students’ skills in arts, sports, and work experience has received a good response.
Besides keeping students engaged and in a positive frame of mind and alleviating their anxieties during these unsettling times, Sargam also aims to provide those interested in these areas opportunities to nurture their talents.
In the first phase, all students in the district from lower primary to higher secondary and vocational streams are taking part in the programme. Videos of various activities prepared by Samagra at the district level are shared by trainers on a WhatsApp group and from there percolate down to school headmaster, school resource group comprising teachers, and finally on class WhatsApp groups.
Videos
The videos are categorised into Kaliveedu (work experience education), Kalikkalam (health and sports education), Chitraveedu (painting), and Pattupetti (music).
Both Kaliveedu and Kalikkalam are further segmented as per the class in which students study, while Chitraveedu and Pattupetti are for students from classes 5 to 8.
After watching the videos, students’ doubts or recommendations can be shared on the school group and cluster groups. Their works are shared on the school groups and shared at the block resource level too to motivate them.
While opportunities to watch the videos on class groups are available, there has been demand for uploading them on YouTube to enable repeat viewing.
In the next phase of Sargam, teachers will be asked to identify talented students on the basis of responses to the videos and formed into groups on a cluster basis. Specialist teachers will take classes for these students online to hone their talents.
When schools reopen, these students will be given direct classes by the specialist teachers, say Samagra officials.