Children have to be “skilled” rather than “just taught” to meet the challenges of the modern world, Anurag Tripathi, Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), has said.
“To help them change the face and future of the nation, principals and teachers should transform classrooms into spaces for experiential learning instead of learning by rote,” Mr. Tripathi told a conclave of principals and managers organised by Venad Sahodaya Complex at Greets Public School, Kaloor, on Saturday.
Mr. Tripathi stressed the need for focussing on enhancing children’s skill sets and critical thinking abilities to make them future-ready. “Apart from the traditional learning mode, we should focus on long-term learning outcome, practical application of knowledge acquired in schools, and preparing students with critical thinking skills,” he said.
The CBSE had earlier announced that experimental learning would be its punch line for the 2019-20 academic session. It had observed that students should learn from what they study and utilise the knowledge acquired in the process. It should not be rote learning, which they practise just for the sake of passing exams, according to the board.
Urging teachers to connect emotionally with students, Mr. Tripathi said it was vital as teachers had a key role in understanding the needs of children. “Teachers should focus on improving students’ communication skills. They should also strive to step up their attitude and scientific temper,” he observed.
Stressing the importance of training teachers, the CBSE Secretary said teachers could also review their teaching pattern occasionally.
Mr. Tripathi called upon school managements to focus on giving periodical training to teachers to improve their skills. They can use the school funds for capacity building programmes for teachers, he said. The CBSE official also reminded managements to ensure transparency in the selection of teachers.
Sachin Thakur, Regional Officer, CBSE; Manish Tyagi, head, CBSE Centre of Excellence; K.K Shajahan, president, Venad Sahodaya Complex, and Deepa Chandran, principal, Greets Public School, spoke.
