Seek better planning before implementing new academic year schedule
Bicholim: Educationists and parents in Bicholim have urged the state government to prioritise quality education and ensure proper infrastructure is in place before implementing the new academic year schedule from April under the new education policy.
They said that the government’s decision to adopt the policy was rushed and lacked a thorough discussion on its potential implications.
Ramesh Gauns, a senior secondary and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan teacher, said, “We should emphasise quality education. Only then can the educational system bring about meaningful social change,” he said. He also called for adequate infrastructure to be provided in primary schools.
Stating that primary education holds the key to effective learning, as it forms the foundation for all future education, he said, “Real teaching takes place at the primary level. Hence, a primary teacher’s role is even more significant than that of their secondary counterparts.”
While Ramchandra Garde, chairman of Ideal High School, said that the Education Department had yet to issue a circular regarding the scrapping of the no-detention policy, a parent, Surendra Govenkar, questioned what students, who are promoted before the declaration of results and attend classes when they begin in April, would do if they are detained. “Parents will have already spent money on books, making the exercise futile,”
he said.
Ravindra Fougeri, an educationist with over 40 years of experience, said there is a need for consultation with school heads, educators, teachers, and parents before announcing such significant changes. “The government should have taken all these stakeholders into confidence before implementing the new education policy,” he said.
Plans to start the academic year in April have faced criticism from various stakeholders. Fougeri said that students are unlikely to be focused on learning in the hot weather. “Completing the syllabus without imparting quality education is meaningless,” he said.
Govenkar, who echoed the concern, urged the government to reconsider the decision and ensure necessary facilities in schools, as well as adequate transportation.
Primary teacher Nalini Korde said that the teaching-learning process can only be effective if the classroom environment is conducive. This includes adequate infrastructure and access to quality educational materials. “Additionally, teachers’ willingness to adjust to limited facilities can make a major difference,” she said.
Ex-headmistress Ashvini Lamgaonkar called for greater emphasis on educational psychology to enhance the teaching-learning process. “Merely increasing school hours and rushing to complete the syllabus won’t achieve the true goal of education,” she said.
