Nagaland: School Education dept. issues guidelines for resumption of online classes

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 20 (EMN): The department of School Education on Thursday issued a notification regarding resumption of online classes from May 24, following the decision of the High Power Committee (HPC) on Covid-19 to allow educational institutions to resume virtual teaching after the summer vacation.

The principal director (PD) of School Education, Shanavas C, has directed all the schools to strictly follow its directives while conducting online classes till the time normal classroom teaching remains suspended in view of the pandemic.

The guideline stated that the duration of online classes for pre-primary students should not be for more than 30 minutes per day. Classes for students of class 1 to 8 should be two online sessions of 45 minutes each or three online sessions of 30 minutes each per day; and for classes 9 to 12– four sessions of 30-45 minutes each per day shall be conducted, it added.

The guideline stated that ‘teachers and students may make use of video lessons broadcast for classes 5 to 12 during the lockdown period in 2020 which are available on the department’s YouTube channel (DoSE Nagaland) and Facebook page (School Education, Nagaland), while it also encouraged the use of Diksha platform (https://diksha.gov.in/) and Swayam portal (https://swayam.gov.in/).

Teachers have been directed to prepare explanatory notes, worksheets, assignments etc. for topics given in text books and syllabus for classes 1 to 12 and share with students through online or WhatsApp mode.

Meanwhile, it stated that after lifting of the ongoing total lockdown, heads of schools should make arrangements to distribute the notes, worksheets, assignments etc. to parents or students once or twice in a week on different days/timings for different classes following the standard operating procedure (SOP) notified by the state government from time to time.

In this regard, it added that parents and students should be notified for submission of the completed worksheets or assignments on specified days at different intervals of time for different classes and schools should collect the completed assignments and distribute new notes, worksheets etc. along with feedback of the previous task submitted.

Parents may be encouraged to take interest/part in the worksheets/assignments of their children and assist in online/digital mode of education as far as possible, it stated.

Further, the official notified that heads of schools should ensure that only a reasonable number of worksheets/assignments, which can be completed by students through self study, are given to students and added that ‘delivery of education should be the focus and not completion of the syllabus’.

It also stated that ‘a study time table for students may be prepared by parents for use at home’, while it stressed that care should be taken by all concerned to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times and adherence to the existing SOP in the state.

Teachers, heads of government schools

The department has also issued guidelines for teachers and heads of government schools. Teachers have been directed to record details of notes, worksheets or assignments prepared, distributed and feedback given etc. in a note in the format given in Teachers’ Diary and the same be checked and countersigned by the school heads regularly; adding that a new Teacher’s Diary would be issued soon.

It went on to state that heads of schools should upload daily activities on the online school monitoring portal (https://dosenl.in/) starting from May 26 before 4 pm of all working days along with attendance report of teachers; teachers who left their place of posting during the summer vacation should conduct online classes from their present place of stay till such time inter-district/intra-district travel is allowed by the government.

It is mandatory for all government school teachers (including school heads) to register on the teacher’s app. The heads of schools have been notified to ensure the same and particulars of teachers who have not yet registered on the app due to mobile number mismatch have been asked to submit it to the department on reports.dosenl@gmail.com through respective school heads for necessary updating.

It may be mentioned that, the department had declared summer vacation for schools and colleges from April 30 to May 21.