The focus on foundational reading, writing and mathematics through Mission Buniyaad in Delhi government schools will continue till the end of August, officials said.
Schools reopened on Friday, July 1 after a summer vacation of over a month. However, the classes under Mission Buniyaad continued till June 18, 2022, as stated in a report by ANI.
As a precautionary measure, schools have been instructed to make sure that all COVID-19 protocols are being followed vigorously, as Coronavirus cases are rising. Delhi on Thursday recorded 865 new COVID-19 cases and zero deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the active cases in the national capital to 3,914 with a daily positivity rate of 4.45 per cent.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday, June 30 directed the Directorate of Education (DoE) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to continue Mission Buniyaad classes for two more months.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that this year Mission Buniyaad classes were conducted on a war footing and its results have been splendid. He added that it has played a very important role in bridging the learning gap that has widened in the past two years of the pandemic.
"Lakhs of children of our schools have benefited from this and there has been a positive improvement in their learning levels. All the credit for this goes to the teachers and school heads of DoE and MCD. If MCD and DoE work together like this then it will be a big help in improving the learning levels of students," he said.
Sisodia further said that at the primary level most of the students are in MCD schools. "During the past two years of the COVID pandemic, a significant learning gap was observed among them. Addressing this gap was a real challenge but with the efforts of teachers, students have picked up really well. DoE and MCD to continue Mission Buniyaad classes for two more months," he said.
It is to be noted that according to data, 88 per cent of the children of Class III and IV in DoE schools and 78 per cent of the children in MCD schools are able to read at least words. They would be able to read their books with two more months of practice. In Classes VI to IX, 90 per cent of the students are able to read small paragraphs now and with the focused approach for the next two months, they will be able to read their own books.
As per the official statement, Mission Buniyaad will continue in schools till August 31 and a review will be done at the end of August. In July, the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) will organise a training session for Targeted Pedagogical Approach with teachers from MCD and DOE.
Teachers will do the assessment of each child weekly, the school head will monitor the progress of each child and a mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) will be organised in July to share the learning level of their children with the parents in the schools of Delhi Government and MCD. The class-wise syllabus will be reduced to create more time and opportunities for strengthening foundational skills.