The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Some teachers find it tough to implement ABL methodology

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Saturday, Jul 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Some teachers find it tough to implement ABL methodology

Meera Srinivasan

— File Photo

Teachers hope that the problems in the implementation of the ABL will be sorted out soon.

CHENNAI: The Activity Based Learning (ABL) methodology introduced by the School Education Department in all primary schools across the State may have been a progressive step in teaching and learning, but a section of teachers seems to have some difficulty in implementing it.

“We are all for the ABL method. But they resist any feedback that is even remotely critical and expect us to deliver results,” said a teacher of a Corporation primary school in north Chennai, adding that teachers hoped that their feedback would be taken seriously this academic year.

One teacher said that parents came to the school and questioned the grouping of their children in class II with those in class I. “We tried explaining to them that it was for the ABL class, but they were not convinced. Some students even dropped out and we heard that they were put in private schools nearby,’ she said.

Another hurdle in the implementation of the ABL is the undesirable teacher-student ratio, say teachers. “We have about 40 children and each of them learns at a different pace. The children who learn fast proceed quickly to the next step. Those who are slow just lose interest and do not learn much,” she said. When officials come for review, they expect all 40 children to know everything from the syllabus. Some teachers end up tutoring them for this inspection, another teacher admitted.

When contacted, R. Venkatesan, State Project Director, SSA, said that the average teacher-student ratio in primary schools across the State was 1:30. “Moreover, the fundamental idea of the ABL is to allow children to learn at their own pace and more importantly, understand what they learn. Can a teacher teaching a class of 40 using the conventional method be sure that all the students in her class have understood a concept?” he asked.

Another issue that has cropped up in the new academic year, after the Corporation’s decision to open English medium sections in its schools is the lack of trained teachers or textbooks. “We were just told that one of us who is relatively more comfortable with English had to handle the section. We have not received any text books, syllabus and the children who have enrolled for English medium are yet to receive uniforms, too,” said the head of a Corporation school.

Teachers said some training and orientation to handle English mediums sections would have helped. “It is no easy task to teach these children in English. When the school is the only place where they will hear or attempt speaking in English, we need to be very well equipped. Sadly, officials don’t seem to care,” said a primary school teacher.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that the textbooks were being printed and schools would receive them very soon.

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