When M. K Stalin took over as Chief Minister in early May 2021 the impact of the COVID pandemic was acute in the school education sector. The schools were already closed for around 16 months and the severity of the learning gaps stared in the face of students, teachers and the school authorities. It was a source of deep anxiety for parents. The impact of the closure was particularly acute and disempowering for students from the government schools. Learning through the online channels or through smartphones still excluded several children.
To design a response, the Tamil Nadu government turned to history's lessons. One such was Arivoli Iyakkam, the adult literacy campaign launched in the 1990s. The campaign was multipronged - it used empowered volunteers, street theatre with songs and powerful messaging, deep fieldwork and conversations and events in informal spaces. This was bound together with a strong collaborative spirit between the various layers of the political leadership, the administration and civil society.
A field study titled 'Loss of Learning during the Pandemic' by the Azim Premji University in January 2021 on the situation in India said "The loss for the students involved both loss of curricular learning and 'forgetting'- which has been described as ' abilities that children have forgotten due to lack of usage." The report highlighted the challenges of students moving to more complex subjects once the schools opened without a strong base and the long term impact of such regression.
Denne historien er fra March 05, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra March 05, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.
Fading Folks
The recent SC ruling on sub-classification within the SC and ST categories temporarily lifted the hopes of tribal communities in Jharkhand