Padmavati Prabhu
Panaji: The Goa State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will introduce a four-week bridge course at the beginning of the new academic year in April as a strategic intervention to ensure a smooth and effective transition from the old curriculum to the NEP-aligned framework.
Goa SCERT director Meghana Shetgaonkar said the course is a short-term academic programme which will be conducted to connect students’ prior learning with new curricular expectations.
Shetgaonkar said, “It will address key concerns among parents and stakeholders about how students will cope with the sudden shift to new textbooks and competency-based learning. It will provide a gradual transition, reinforce prerequisite knowledge, and familiarise students with new formats of learning.”
“The bridge course will ensure that the change is structured and learner-friendly rather than abrupt,” she said, adding that the initiative is a well-planned and contextually adapted strategy that will ensure a smooth, inclusive, and competency-driven transition to NEP 2020, effectively supporting both learners and educators in Goa.
At the national level, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed bridge courses for most stages. However, courses for Grade 4 and Grade 7 were not available.
Recognising this gap, Goa SCERT has taken the initiative to develop bridge courses for these grades.
“Additionally, keeping in view the linguistic context of the state, Goa SCERT has prepared bridge courses for Konkani and Marathi subjects across all grades, ensuring inclusivity and contextual relevance,” she said.
The bridge course will be implemented for the duration of four weeks within regular school hours. To support effective implementation, teacher training is being conducted in online mode, enabling large-scale orientation on pedagogy, competency mapping, and use of materials.
“A major challenge arises for students of Grade 5 and Grade 8, who directly encounter the NEP-aligned curriculum without exposure in earlier stages. The bridge course will address this by covering essential competencies from previous stages and enabling students to attain the required learning outcomes. Thus, it will act as a competency consolidation mechanism, ensuring readiness for grade-level learning,” she said.
Shetgaonkar said that for students, the bridge course will reduce anxiety, bridge learning gaps and prepare them for experiential and competency-based learning.
“For teachers, it will facilitate a shift towards learner-centric pedagogy and strengthen assessment practices,” she said.
