Goa: Central funds for data packs for teachers

PANAJI: The Centre has approved Rs 21.3 lakh under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme to procure high-speed data packs for teachers of government and government-aided secondary schools. Teachers will also be provided pen drives pre-loaded with content and modules. All of this will be made available during the academic year 2020-21 after online training conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Goa officials have been told that for the high-speed internet pack, teachers will be provided the amount on a reimbursement basis.
The financial support is meant to assist the state as teaching activity has gone online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Officials from the Union ministry of human resource development (HRD) have told the state that online Nishtha training modules will be prepared for teacher training by NCERT, and that states should introduce teachers to teaching methodologies through live-streaming of online tutorials and massive online open courses (MOOCs) through the NCERT’s Nishtha and Diksha platforms.
“Teachers may be provided with a platform to share their experiences, ideas, best practices, issues and concerns related to e-learning. Use of e-learning platforms like Diksha, e-Pathshala, Swayam, Swayam Prabha, National repository of open educational resources (NROER) and Nishtha may be promoted among teachers and students,” state officials have been told. Academicians, NGOs and teachers may be encouraged to develop and contribute content in line with the state/UT curriculum.”
The content created by the state’s teachers should be uploaded on Diksha after requisite curation and approvals by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the state has been told. SCERT should also develop guidelines on the usage of various available e-learning platforms regarding the sample schedule of the sessions to be conducted online and number of hours of usage.
“The teachers can conduct virtual classrooms/discussions,” central officials have told Goa after a review of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan programme in the state. “The classroom sessions should be either live-streamed or recorded. Queries and doubts of students should be adequately answered. The planning of the access should be done such that no child is left behind. State/UT governments may ensure that learning content is accessible to the needs of children with special needs. In areas with low internet connectivity, radio and TV may be used to reach the remotest locations.”