NCERT begins independent evaluation of activity-based learning in schools

EFFECTIVE LEARNING: Students of panchayat union primary school at Veerapandi, near Madurai, learning through Activity Based Learning methods introduced under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Photo: S. James.

The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has started an independent evaluation of the Activity-Based Learning being implemented in the State for primary schoolchildren.

During the three-week evaluation, which began on Tuesday, a team of experts from the NCERT will cover about 280 schools in 14 districts in Tamil Nadu.

R. Venkatesan, State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), told

The Hindu here on Wednesday that the evaluation process would cover a mix of both urban and rural schools where the teaching-learning process is being done through ABL mode for classes I to IV.

“The SSA-Tamil Nadu has provided the data required for carrying out this evaluation. We have introduced ABL material/attractive cards for primary class students in around 38,000 schools in the State,” he said. According to him, the schools in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai are also among those to be covered during the evaluation process.

Mr. Venkatesan, who was here to inspect the SSA activities in a few government schools in Theni and Virudhunagar districts, stated that the children of primary sections started doing well after the introduction of ABL in classrooms. He observed that the NCERT evaluation would help the SSA (Tamil Nadu) to know the effectiveness of learning among children of primary sections.

“During the last three to four months, a list of schools was given to the NCERT from which 280 schools were identified for the evaluation. Based on the findings, we can take steps to further upscale the classroom activity in government schools for primary sections,” Mr. Venkatesan said. The focus of SSA during the coming academic year would be on ‘urban planning' which is aimed at covering cities and towns, he added.