Govt. Schools witness increase in enrollment.
Rajnish Sareen
Nawanshahr, May 19, 2020: As the uncertainty still looms large over the opening of schools due to the pandemic COVID-19, it is virtually a booster feedback from the ground level for the teachers that their dedicated efforts being put in for providing " On Line Education facility" for the past two months have started fructifying. The students and their have been giving encouraging response to the virtual classes. It has greatly been helping the government schools to win the trust of the public, which is evident from the considerable increase in enrollment despite lock down.
The Education Department, with a view to make up for the interruption due to lock down , has started " Ghar Baithe Shikhiya" programme. Under it, the teachers started taking on line classes through Whats App groups, google drive, TV and Radio channels. Besides teaching regular syllabus, the teachers are also making them aware about the preventing measures for Corona virus as well as keeping the children occupied in different creative activities to break their monotony .
The Education Department ( Elementary Education) , with a view to assess the efficacy of the virtual classes, has conducted an " On Line Quiz" on Sunday. A google link of the quiz , based on the syllabus taught from May 11 to 16, was sent to the students through the vast network of " Parho Punjab, Paraho Punjab".
team. The students of classes 3rd to 5th across the state participated.
" As per the data compiled late in the evening on Sunday, as many as 216478 students including 5672 from Amritsar, 4413 from Nawanshahr, 7011 from
Sangrur, 9111 from Mohali, 18973 from Hoshiarpur, 5723 from Kapurthala, 8515 from Gurdaspur, 16337 from Jalandhar, 14922 from Tarn Tarn, 12762 from
Patiala, 3195 from Pathankot,13657 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 5779 from Faridkot, 9665 from Fazilka, 12307 from Ferozepur, 12673 from Bathinda, 2396 from Barnala, 5133 from Mansa, 7177 from Muktsar, 6702 from Moga,10468 from Rupnagar, 23587 from Ludhiana district participated in the on line quiz", says
Dr. Davinder Boha, State Coordinator " Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab", while adding that the " On line Quiz" had witnessed participation of about 50 % of the
small kids , which could be termed as overwhelming response keeping in view the teething troubles in the first ever such mega attempt due to technical as well
as socio-economic hurdles being faced by the small kids belonging to the underprivileged section of the society.
There are a number of schools and clusters situated in different districts where cent percent participation of the students has been reported, he further said
while adding that the available data would be minutely analysed to chalk out strategy for taking immediate requisite steps to bring in further improvement in the implementation of the programme.
Maninder Singh, Baljit Singh,Vanshika, class 5th students of GPS, Sodhian and GPS, Barwa in Nawanshahr district respectively, Geeta, 5th class student of
GPS, Baba Bakala in Amritsar district while sharing their excitement said "It is a wonderful experience for us to attend "On line classes" as well as taking
" On Line Tests" during the Lock Down period", which have been keeping us busy with their studies even during the unprecedented pandemic which has forced closure of schools. Their parents while lauding the initiative of the Education Department, expressed their gratitude towards the school teachers, who have
been taking extra pains to keep in touch with the students and parents.
"When the curfew was imposed and schools were closed about two months ago, we were very much concerned about the loss of study of the children as
well as feeling it hard to keep them occupied in the houses for such a long period during the pandemic, but, the Education Department's initiative of starting " On Line Classes" have allayed such fears", they added while praising the government school teachers who have not only been taking classes and tests on line but have also organised " Summer Camp" to make the lock down period perfectly enjoyable for them. Apart from keeping the students in touch with their studies , the initiative
of organising "Summer Camps" has been helping the students to explore their creative potentialities.
Neel Kamal, Assistant District Coordinator, "Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab", Nawanshahr and Primary School teachers Rajwant Singh from Patiala, Sarbjit Singh from Baba Bakala , Sarika , Mandeep Kaur from Nawanshahr districts said that most of the students had been enjoying the new concept of teaching
through virtual classes. Some students could not participate in the quiz either due to non availability of smart phones or due to the fact that the phones were with their parents , who have now started going to work now.
School Education Secretary, Krishan Kumar, while lauding the coordinated and consistent efforts of the school teachers in transforming the challenge of
COVID-19 into an opportunity, said that the overwhelming response to the " Ghar Baithe Shikhiya " programme was ,in fact ,natural corollary of the launch of
" Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab" programme about three years ago. Under it, augmentation of infrastructural facilities as well as new innovative techniques, activities, methodologies were devised to bring in qualitative improvement in the school education. Schools have been converted into Smart Schools by
equipping them with e.content of the syllabus, facility of English medium and digital class rooms. Besides, special attention was given to ensure optimum
utilisation of the information technology and social media to establish rapport with the students, parents and different sections of the society for the past three
years. Thus, strengthening of foundation of digital education , imparting training to the teachers and vast social media network have been playing pivotal role in
the success of the programme.
" Earlier, the " On Line Tests" conducted recently for the students of classes 6th to 12th have witnessed about 80 % participation. As it is first ever venture of the Education Department during the unprecedented crisis due to pandemic, naturally, there were lot of ' ifs and buts' regarding its successful implementation, but, the encouraging response from the students has proved such apprehensions wrong vehemently", said Krishan Kumar while adding that the " On Line Education"
during Lock Down period had been emerging as major attraction of the Government Schools. It is evident from the increase in enrollment currently underway .
So far, 2380542 students had been enrolled through on line admission campaign during the current academic session , while the total strength of previous academic session was 2352112.