Lok Sabha Question No. 1076 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Improving Learning levels
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh, Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1076 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## Improving Learning levels

## 1076.    SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH: SHRI SHRINIWAS PATIL:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been any attempt to gauge learning levels and learning loss due to the ongoing pandemic and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) if not, the reasons preventing the Government in carrying out such exercise and whether the Government has any plans to do so;
- (c) whether e-learning can replace offline education;
- (d) the steps taken by Government to ensure equitable access to education during pandemic especially in light of a wide digital divide in the country;
- (e) the ways in which the Government has addressed the educational needs of the children of geographical areas with poor internet reception;
- (f) whether the Government plans for bridging courses in a post-pandemic world to take care of learning loss and if so, the details, thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) & (b) Education being in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are  under  the  domain  of  respective  State  and  UT  Governments.  The  Department  has  shared  a COVID  Action  Plan  with  the  States  and  UTs  which  includes  tracking  of  children  and  their learning levels. States and UTs have been advised to develop effective home learning program which  includes  access  to  grade  appropriate  textbooks;  content  identification  and  curation;

content dissemination physically or through various platforms - WhatsApp, Website, TV, Radio; content engagement; assessment of learning and tracking and monitoring.

(c)  to  (e)  In  order  to  ensure  that  education  reaches  each  &  every  student,  a  multi-pronged approach has been adopted leveraging technology to reach the students. E-content for all grades in 31 languages, Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), study webs of activelearning for young aspiring minds (SWAYAM),  PRAGYATA guidelines on digital education, e-textbooks and e-content on national repository of open educational resources (NROER), online virtual  labs  (OLABS)  for  practical's  related  e-content,  activity-based  and  highly  engaging modules for special resources for teachers focusing upon experiential learning and competencybased education, NISHTHA (national initiative for school heads and teachers for their holistic advancement) online for capacity building programme for elementary school teachers and school heads  etc.  are  used  by  schools,  to  provide  learning  facilities.  Further  virtual  learning  offers  a good  substitute  to  classroom  learning  in  the  time  of  pandemic  like  COVID-19,  but  it  cannot replace the classroom education. To improve the internet connectivity in rural areas, the CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd (CSC-SPV) of MEITY has been assigned the task of providing Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connectivity to the Government Institutions, including schools.

Where  the  internet  facility  is  not  available,  Ministry  of  Education  has  taken  many initiatives like One Class One Channel of SWAYAM PRABHA to impart education through TV and  One  DTH  channel  is  being  operated  specifically  for  hearing  impaired  students  in  sign language.    Community  Radio  Stations,  a  podcast  called  Shiksha  Vani  of  CBSE,  Textbooks, Workbook, Worksheets supplied to residence of learners, Handbook on 21 st Century Skills and community/mohalla  classes  are  being  organized.  Innovation  Funds  of  Department  of  School Education  &  Literacy  used  to  set  up  mobile  school/  virtual  studios/  virtual  class  rooms  in schools. Continuous Learning Plan (CLP) for States/UTs have been initiated in all States/UTs. Pre-loaded tablets are also being provided under Samagra Shiksha in various states and UTs to schools where online classes are difficult.

(f) With a view of addressing the issues related to gaps and/or loss of learning among students, during and after the lockdown, National Council of Education Research & Training (NCERT) has  prepared  'Alternative  Academic  Calendar'.  Week-wise  plan  for  grades  1  to  12  has  been developed  in  three  languages.  It  consists  of  interesting  activities  and  challenges  related  to topics/themes in the syllabus. It maps the topics/themes with the learning outcomes & facilitates teachers/parents to assess the progress in students' learning in a variety of ways. Also links for eresources have been provided for those learners who have access to the internet. NCERT has also developed bridge course for out-of-school children including lots of activities which are helpful for the bridging the learning gaps across classes 1-8 and the States/UTs have been requested to prepare and implement School Readiness Module/Bridge Course in classrooms for initial one or two months for each grade. Once school reopens, the grade related syllabus should be undertaken only  after  the  bridge  course  is  completed,  so  that  students  can  adjust  to  the  changed  school environment and do not feel the stress or left out, especially students who did not have access to alternate means of education.

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