Education Min releases NCERT 8-week alternative academic calendar for upper primary classes

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 3

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Monday released the Alternative Academic Calendar for the upper primary stage to help teachers engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alternative academic calendars for students, parents and teachers at primary and upper primary stage have been developed by the NCERT under the guidance of the Ministry.

Pokhriyal said the calendar would empower students, teachers, school principals and parents to find new ways to deal with COVID-19 using online teaching and learning resources and would improve learning outcomes.

He said the calendar at upper primary stage (Classes VI to VIII) was released for four weeks earlier.

Now, the calendar for the next eight weeks at an upper primary stage has been released.

“The calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological tools and social media tools available for imparting education in fun-filled, interesting ways, which can be used by the learner, parents and teachers even while at home,” said the Minister.

Pokhriyal said the calendar had taken into account varying levels of access to tools such as mobile phones, radio, television, SMS and various social media platforms.

“The fact that many may not have internet facility in the mobile phone or may not be able to use different social media tools — such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Google — the calendar guides teachers to further help parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or through voice call.

Parents were expected to help elementary stage students to implement this calendar, Pokhriyal said.

​The Minister said this calendar would cater to the needs of all children, including those with special needs, through links to audiobooks, radio and video programmes.

“The calendar has week-wise plan consisting of activities with reference to theme/chapter taken from syllabus or textbook. It also maps themes with learning outcomes. The purpose of mapping is to facilitate teachers and parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks. All activities in the calendar are suggestive, not prescriptive,” the Education Minister said.