Policy

Informing the aim of neP is the real challenge

The vision of NEP 2020 needs to get disseminated from the top to all stakeholders

Changing trends are not created by any person or established by any group. We have grown into it. There are a number of practices in the educational front too that wither away when new ones are adopted. The National education Policy 2020 is just a document which gives a structure to facilitate schools and colleges to align themselves to these changes in an organised and uniform manner. The moot question is: “Are our teachers ready for the NeP implementation”? Whatever may be the changes, teachers will gear up to handle them. How the teaching community rose to the occasion during the pandemic is proof enough. Be it art integration or mother tongue teaching or intra-disciplinary approach!! The challenge is not in the implementation of various aspects of NeP 2020. The challenge is not ‘how and what’ but it lies in understanding the ‘why’. The vision behind the NeP should be communicated clearly and disseminated from the top to all stakeholders. Shanti Krishnamurthy Director Academics & Administration, Chinmaya International Residential School, Coimbatore

school leaders need to first ensure the vision behind the new policy is communicated and shared with the teachers who are adapting the new changes in the classrooms. If art integration is suggested in the NeP, teachers need to understand that it is only to ensure the teaching learning process embraces the different abilities in children. It should transform the child which is the very purpose of education. The main challenge in NeP implementation is the communication of the vision behind NeP to all the stakeholders. Yet another area where the challenge lies is in designing the assessments. Remembering and understanding are the lowest levels of learning according to Benjamin Samuel Bloom (february 21, 1913 – September 13, 1999) an American educational psychologist. We need to assess the higher levels of application, analysing, evaluating & creating skills of children. Content being by and large the same, NeP has outlined the new methods to make an impact on the learning of Children. Remembering and understanding the content are like the leaves of a plant and over a period of time will get withered out. Remembering or understanding the content does not make a long-lasting impact on the child. Teachers aim at the cognitive domain of the learner. We need to shift the focus to the affective domain where the content needs to get processed. “Don’t Teach Children; Touch the lives of Children” says, Pujya Swami Chinmayananda.

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T he highest education is that w hich does not mer el y give us infor mation but makes our life in har mony with all existence -- Rabindr a Nath Ta gor e

Founder & Chairperson (Dr. Lilly George) with Winners at Yale We at Shalom manifest in every thought, word and action our philosophy and mindset for a new age education. The educational scenario has undergone a drastic change as the fallout of pandemic that has left children with no choice other than being home bound. Shalom group is making rapid strides by establishing present day educational pedagogy in its schools. The child of today cannot be taught with traditional methodology and learning has to be facilitated by understanding individual aptitude and capacity. The potential of every child needs to be optimized by following suitable pedagogical practices. With a clear vision, foresight and prudence of our Founder and Chairperson Dr. (Mrs.) Lilly George, we have been able to curate a unique space for every child as per his/her interests, abilities and ambition. With her love for children and her passion for edu cat ion , Dr. Geo rge env isa ges nur tur ing suc h children who are the masters of self and able to lead the world by knowledge, analytical skills, problem solving abilities and integrity of character. The empowering fuel is the core values like confidence, courage, c o m p a s s i o n , c o n v i c t i o n , c o m m i t m e n t a n d consistency. An embodiment of grit courage, poise and excellence, Dr. George is the strength and inspiration for every member of Shalom family and leads them with example. Shalom group is a community of learners who are committed to provide a stimulating environment with academic rigor by making learning so engaging that every child learns effortlessly and feels excited about academics. We develop a culture of excellence that

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includes robust instructional plan aligned with the 21 century skills. We seek to develop well rounded pe rs on al it y wh o ex em pl if y ph ys ic al he al th , wellness character and core values. The focus is on nurturing the minds to empower them to find solutions to the difficult life situations and problems that humanity is facing and become valued global citizens. gives a The beautiful campus of Shalom Group feeling of extended home environment. The architectural beauty is enhanced with lush green lawns. Open spaces, play grounds, herbal gardens and a swimming pool. Our schools have well ventilated class rooms, well-spaced-out Labs, and well-stocked libraries as an integral part of the modern set up for the children to explore. emp owe r eac h chi ld to ach iev e his /he r highest potential focus on developing skills and competencies through hands on experience expose them to creative art for emotional growth and understanding empower them through group work, Debate, d i s c u s s i o n , r e s e a r c h a n a l y s i s a n d documenting. encourage them to participate in various

Activities fo cu s on La ng ua ge Ex pe rt is e- Li st en in g,

Speaking, Reading and Writing by providing extended learning opportunities focus on their physical fitness by organizing various games and sports. focus on their nutrition facts with awareness of health and hygiene e n h a n c e t h e i r l o v e f o r n a t u r e a n d environment by organizing nature walk tree plantation and many other activities. n u r t u r e t h e i r m i n d w i t h i n s p i r a t i o n a l episodes and short stories. n u r t u r e t h e i r e m o t i o n a l w e l l b e i n g b y providing them sessions on life skills

Community Outreach Through discovery, innovation, exploration and creative expression students receive rich learning opportunities while building a positive school culture whereby every child is received with unconditional positive regard and acceptance. All the achievements of our children are duly appreciated and celebrated. We welcome our children with open arms and foster best home school relationship.

Our continuous endeavor is to:

Policy

Implementation challenges of neP

ritu Kochhar Principal, MD International School, Bijnor T he new policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 per cent gross enrolment Ratio (geR) in school education by 2030 and aims to raise geR in higher education to 50 per cent by 2025. Apart from this, the policy also focuses on early childhood care, restructuring curriculum and pedagogy; reforming assessments and exams and investing in teacher training and broadbasing their appraisal. Teachers’ availability and training is a challenge. In order to deliver the curriculum effectively, schools and concerned authorities need to train teachers and understand the pedagogical needs to make a smooth transition to the new education system. Since teaching is one of the low-paid professions in India, experiential learning and concept-oriented teaching will be a challenging task. until the teacher remuneration is revised,

aCCORDINg tO A STuDY, OuT Of THe 1.5 MIllION SCHOOlS IN INDIA, 75 PeR CeNT ARe RuN BY THe gOveRNmeNt. OF tHe RemaININg 400,000 PRIVATe SCHOOlS, NeARlY 80 PeR CeNT SCHOOlS ARe ‘bUDget PRIvate SCHOOlS.

Policy

the implementation of the NeP 2020 will be quite challenging. The NeP seeks to enable native language learning up to class five, in order to improve learning outcomes. No doubt , early comprehension of concepts is better in the native language and is essential for future progress. If the foundations are not sound strong , learning suffers, even with the best of teaching and infrastructure .But it is also true that a core goal of education is social and economic mobility and the language of mobility in India is english. There are some pedagogical limitations also as the document talks about flexibility, choice, experimentation. In higher education, the document recognizes that there is a diversity of pedagogical needs. If it is a mandated option within single institutions, this will be a disaster, since structuring a curriculum for a classroom that has both one-year diploma students and fouryear degree students’ takes away from the identity of the institution. The NeP focuses on formative assessment for learning rather than summative assessment. The primary purpose of changing the assessment system is to promote continuous tracking of learning outcomes. However, continuous assessment requires schools and teachers to use innovative evaluation approaches and assignments. These approaches demand technological intervention and active involvement of teachers and students. According to a study, out of the 1.5 million schools in India, 75 per cent are run by the government. Of the remaining 400,000 private schools, nearly 80 per cent schools are ‘budget private schools. Hence, deploying a continuous assessment framework is a challenging task in these schools. There are challenges in successfully implementing changes that include

modifying the curriculum in accordance with the National Curriculum framework. Also, educators need to rethink the learning content rubric and modify the textbooks accordingly. Despite some challenges, the new National education Policy (NeP) 2020 is a good as it aims to make the education system holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, aligned to the needs of the 21st century and the 2030 Sustainable Development goals. the intent of policy seems to be ideal in many ways.

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PRIORITY LEARNING FOR EDUCATORS

Give teachers their due

Sheenam Samuel Principal, SRM Convent School, Pohir, ludhiana, Punjab D uring the pandemic the people in health sector and those involved in voluntary work especially non-government organisations were praised but the teaching community went unnoticed. Teachers, especially the aged and who were on the other side of the digital divide upped the ante and learnt skills which resulted in online teaching. It is no mean achievement. The government did not include our teachers as ‘SuPer heroeS’. Students needed the full support of the teachers to come back in the environment of the school and learning. Three components are required this time after pandemic that include cognitive, affective, and behavioral intention. Returning to the school after COVID-19 period, teachers dealt with many challenges of the students such astrauma, anxiety, aggression, behavior problem, transition problems, loss & bereavement and bullying to name a few.

Now teachers are more patient, helpful, have positive emotions and positive attitude to technology, etc. They are offering their students the opportunity to have a one-to-one conversation with them to reconnect and discussing their concerns. They are providing opportunities for children to take breaks, move around, and re-connect with their friends and peers. Teachers are fostering feelings of safety and security by interacting and developing positive relationships with each student and using routines during the day to help children feel safe and secure. Teachers are also counselling students on regular basis.

THe feDeRATION Of PRIVATe SCHOOlS AND ASSOCIATIONS Of PuNJAB HONOReD MANY TeACHeRS. sUCH gestURes NeeD TO Be APPReCIATeD

Teachers are using both the platform offline and online which is really appreciable. they are making PDFs, JPg files, Notes, using different applications, preparing and checking notes of the students (virtual & manual), doing parent-teachermeetings. They are doing counselling of parents as well. One of the surveys indicated that teachers are also facing mental health problems. They also need support. Teachers work overtime on several occasions such as exam time, annual day preparation, sports events. Their behavior times may beaggressive. We should appreciate teachers by following different strategies. The federation of Private Schools and Associations of Punjab honored many teachers with fAP Best Teacher Award on a common platform. Such gestures need to be appreciated. excellent appraisals should be given to them. Breaks to be given to keep their batteries charged. Their problems to be solved by the management and the principal of the school.