Reducing learning gap

In order to mitigate the learning gap among students and overcome the loss due to missing school days because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir has directed all Chief Education Officers (CEOs) to operate remedial classes in government and private schools. The development comes a day after the School Education Department directed DSEK and Directorate of School Education Jammu to start Remedial Teaching Classes (RTC) during winter vacations 2021-22 by teachers on a voluntary basis to enhance learning outcomes and competency of students as per past practice in vogue.Meanwhile, modalities have been issued by the DSEK for remedial classes in government and private schools across the valley. An order in this regard has been issued by the Joint Director (EE) Directorate of School Education Kashmir.As per the modalities, Winter Camps (Class 3rd to 8th & Out of School Children) & Winter Tutorials (9th to 12th) will be established while as per need and availability of promising Teachers. For enrolling students in these winter initiatives, parental consent and declaration shall be mandatory.The intervention is to be strictly carried out in collaboration with the community conforming to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB) and latest guidelines issued by the Government from time to time to be followed in letter and spirit.A centrally located/ accessible Middle, High & Higher Secondary Schools having adequate infrastructure/ ICT facility to be identified for this initiative after thorough need analysis, in all subject streams involving staff members in the Student-Teacher Ratio of 1:45 for classes 11th & 12th, Student-Teacher Ratio of 1:40 for classes 9th & 10th, 1:35 for classes 8th and 1:30 for classes 3rd to 7th. The engagement of Teachers be carried out in such a way that one Teacher (with a minimum enrolment of 35) for one subject is involved, the order reads. Eminent & Popular (fully vaccinated) Lecturers/ Masters/ Teachers to be made available for these centres from the respective schools or from the entire cluster/ complex. The preference should be given to the experience, merit and popularity among students.Since there has been a gap in the learning competencies of students in view of the pandemic/ school closure and therefore the teaching and learning in these winter initiatives should focus on remediation to bridge learning gaps and not on the completion of the syllabus.