PANAJI
Government-funded schools shying away from taking up remedial classes for weak students could be stopped from availing of the grants, in what is a fresh warning by the Goa government.
Addressing a State function to felicitate meritorious teachers in the capital city on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant emphasized remedial classes are meant to improve the learning levels of weak students and enhance their academic standing.
“Remedial classes should be held compulsorily for weak students in all aided schools. If we find these schools are not complying with the order, the management might face strict action or even stoppage of grants,” he said.
At the beginning of the academic year 2022-23, the directorate of education issued a circular to schools to implement 200 hours of remedial teaching for weak students to overcome the learning gap left by the Covid-19 pandemic. The schools are also asked to provide data on the remedial teaching conducted on a monthly basis, failing which, action will be initiated against the school head. As per proviso to Rule 20 (1) of the state education regulations, every teacher is expected to devote up to 200 hours to remedial classes.
Sawant further said that the State government will shortly introduce a data system under Vidhya Samiksha Kendra to track daily online attendance of teachers and students as well as undertake centralized summative and periodic assessments of the learning outcome of students.
Speaking about advanced technology in the education system, Sawant pitched for Coding and Robotics course in 2022-23 for select students starting in October. These students will be imparted two hours of training per week.
He said that students of VI to VIII in 435 Government and Aided schools are currently undergoing training in Coding and Robotics. “We are bringing in the equipment required for this course. In the next five years, there will be a sea change in the education system through this new learning among the students,” he said as he asked the teachers to upscale their teaching time-to-time.
The CM, also the Education Minister, further laid emphasis on the newly implemented National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) on skilled education claiming that the Education Department is working hard in implementing NEP.
At the event, the CM felicitated six meritorious teachers with State Awards for their exemplary work done in the field of education.
