The district panchayat’s Vidyajyothi programme to boost the pass percentage of students in the SSLC examinations is likely to be extended to students in the city Corporation limits.
The programme was launched in 2015-16 in schools under the district panchayat to provide extra attention to students not faring well in academics and improve their academic standards. In 2018-19, it was extended to the higher secondary level.
Vidyajyothi has undergone some tweaks this academic year. With studies largely online till a few days ago and no changes to textbooks this year, the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), which is responsible for the academic support for the programme, has prepared activity-oriented worksheets for students.
Till now, handbooks were prepared and distributed to schools. These handbooks contained basic concepts that children needed to grasp in each unit of the textbooks, sample question papers, unit tests, and so on. The handbooks were prepared in Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), Mathematics, Social Science, and English, in both English and Malayalam mediums.
More subjects
This year, worksheets have replaced the handbooks. Besides the existing six subjects, the worksheets have been prepared in two more subjects—Malayalam and Hindi—as in-person learning has been negligible till this month, DIET senior lecturer Geetha Nair says.
In-book form
The first volume of worksheets has been prepared and printed in book form under 13 titles, in both English and Malayalam mediums. These will help students understand the content through various activities and equip them to face the examinations. Focus areas for the languages have been given adequate attention in the worksheets.
A second volume, keeping in mind the focus area requirements for Science and Mathematics, too will be brought out. The second volume will most likely be available online.
Intensive coaching
Now that schools are open for students, on the basis of feedback from teachers, there are plans to provide intensive coaching in topics that children find difficult to comprehend. A review meeting of school headmasters will help decide the needs of students and the kind of support that will be needed. Teachers, too, will be extended support to prepare the students for the examinations, Ms. Geetha Nair says.
DIET Principal Sheeja Kumari says students could be made to complete the worksheets in school itself. In case students are not coming to school, these could be sent to them online or arrangements made to deliver it to them.
She says steps are under way to make available the worksheets to students in city Corporation limits using the civic body’s funds.
