Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Turn of teachers to face black boards

Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

SSA scheme: Teachers learning how to handle practical classes. —

Udhagamandalam: Going by the Chinese proverb: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand”, officials in charge of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme are now in the process of making students take up practicals at an earlier age.

Consequently science teachers handling Standard six to eight in government and aided schools are now facing the black board.

Pointing out that it was to ensure that the teachers were well equipped to pass on their knowledge vis- a-vis practicals to their students, the Supervisor, SSA Block Resource Centre, H.S. Moorthy, told The Hindu here on Wednesday that hitherto practicals formed part of the curriculum of only the higher classes.

With the Government deciding that students of Standard six too should be familiar with practicals, some of the teachers underwent training in Chennai.

The knowledge gained is now being put to good use.

Pointing out that the special courses for teachers were set in motion recently by the District Programme Coordinator (SSA) P. David Balasingh, he said that to begin with focus was on Chemistry and Physics practicals.

Underscoring the significance of the programme, he said that in the long run the foundation of the students would be much stronger.

This was already in vogue in the CBSE system. “About half-an-hour of practicals will be equal to over four hours of theory”, he explained.

The Assistant Programme Coordinator, K. Lakshmanan, said that in the first phase about 250 to 300 teachers, including 80 from Ooty and surroundings were participating.

A teacher of the Aadasholai Panchayat Union Middle School R. Eashwari said that she was undergoing such a training for the first time and added, “it is extremely useful”. On the one hand doubts can be cleared easily and on the other the involvement of the students would be more.

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