The Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) has proposed to start model schools in all educational districts.
The schools will be equipped with reading corners and children’s literature, according to DSERT officials.
This proposal was made known during a teleconference organised by DSERT on ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’, a programme of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), in Bengaluru.
Five panelists — N.N. Prahallada, consultant, National Early Literacy Programme of NCERT for southern States, Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru; G.P. Chandramma, joint director, DSERT; Ganga Mare Gowda, SADPI, DSERT; H.B. Chandrashekar, SSA State Pedagogy Coordinator, Karnataka, and M.V. Krishnamurthy SADPI, DSERT Bengaluru — participated in the panel discussion and explained the programme to DIET faculty, Block Resource Centres, Cluster Resource Centres and all DDPIs, from their respective districts in the State.
The panelists highlighted the importance of reading, writing and arithmetic skills especially at classes 1 and 2.
Launched last year, ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’, lays emphasis on the quality of foundational learning to ensure that each child attains proper learning levels in classes 1 and 2 for reading, writing, language comprehension and numeracy, according to MHRD.
‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ has been rolled out in 17 States and UTs and is a sub-component of SSA.
Dr. Prahallada said, in a press release, that literacy skills included listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Reading is a dynamic, cognitive strategy that involves active engagement with text. Young children develop early math skills in a variety of areas, including problem solving and reasoning, number concepts, geometry and spatial sense, measurement, and patterns and relationships, he said.
The panellists replied to questions asked by the participants from various districts.
