Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

“Buniyaad”, a Delhi Government’s Mission in improving learning levels, the Nisha group – which has students that cannot read or write class- appropriate text – will have different exams and syllabus. The Directorate of Education notified the same for college students of classes VI-VIII, in a circular dated August 2.

Nonetheless, teachers are dubious if such selective teaching and assessment will help the children. “We have already divided them into different groups… giving them different sets of papers could psychologically affect the child,” said an English teacher, who did not wish to be named.

Earlier, in 2016, the government had launched “Chunauti 2018,” which is a baseline, as Buniyaad is an extended Mission. The assessment was found that 74% of students in class VI couldn’t read a class II textbook. Under this scheme, children were divided into groups—Pratibha, who could not read and write as per their grade, and Nistha, who could not do any.

In April this year, Chunauti was extended as Mission Buniyaad and included children from classes III-VIII and also covered MCD schools. Schools were asked to divide children into four groups: New Nishta (those unable to recognise Hindi letters, and numbers); Nishta (those who cannot read words, don’t know counting, addition, subtraction); New Pratibha (those unable to comprehend Hindi matras, multiplication, and division); and Pratibha (those who can read and write). The scheme was extended till July 30.

After it ended, an analysis showed that in Class VI, 48.7% of the total 1, 67,248 students could read the age-appropriate text. In Class VII, the number stood at 61% of 1, 84,325 students; and in Class VIII, 67.9% of 1, 89,409 students could read the grade-appropriate text.

As per the circular, heads of schools have been told that children under the Nishta group will be not be taught the entire syllabus. “For the first term — till the mid-term exam in September 2018 — the number of topics to be covered have been significantly reduced,” it said

On assessment, the circular states, “The assessment paper for students, particularly the Nishta group, during mid-term, will have questions from limited topics. Emphasis will be on assessing reading, understanding and ability to write a response.”

By kritika

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