Hailakandi administration launches Chetana to augment e-learning amid COVID-19 lockdown

May 7: Project Chetana, Hailakandi district administration’s new initiative to reach out to children at home during lockdown was launched by Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli on Thursday. Launching the e learning project at her office chamber, DC, Jalli said that students sitting at home due to closure of schools following lockdown would be able to access the lessons imparted by government teachers covering the syllabus through YouTube. Jalli said all the online classes through ICT based Distance Learning Program on WhatsApp would now be available under one platform on the YouTube channel ‘Hailakandi secondary education department project Chetana’.

Spelling out the acronym ‘Chetana’ as ‘Defeating Corona by Hailakandi Education Department Using Technology As Novel Aspiration’, Jalli said the impact of novel coronavirus on academic loss following the closure of schools would be minimised to a certain extent through the Chetana programme. The Deputy Commissioner pointed out that unit test of 100 marks with 50 multiple questions of 90 minutes duration would be conducted for English, Maths, Science, Parsi and other subjects prescribed in SEBA syllabus in Bengali medium of instruction for Class X on May 18 for five days followed by Class IX. “Unit tests covering the courses from January to April would be held for students of Class IX and X starting this month,” said Jalli, adding that there would no pass or fail system and it would help to evaluate the performance of a student.

Terming the project as endeavour of the district administration and education department to keep the learning process unabated during the lockdown, Jalli said, “Those students who missed out earlier online classes will be able to go through the lessons painstakingly developed by the government teachers anytime, anywhere.”
Jalli said that those students who do not have access to smartphones would be provided assistance by Akanksha teachers and volunteers. She said that around 55,000 students of Class 6 to 12 would come under the e learning programme. Jalli said radio classes aired by AIR, Silchar for one hour duration has also turned out to be a successful medium of instruction. Jalli also said that UNICEF would conduct a training here for teachers on online pedagogy to increase their capacity building on Monday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Education, RK Dam said the online education program ‘Chetana’ would help to minimise education loss suffered by students due to lockdown. He appealed to the media persons to popularise the new education concept among the parents so that more and more students come under the e learning programme.

Inspector of Schools, Rajiv Kumar Jha said the teachers and officials of education department are rendering online education services at the time of lockdown. “School buildings are closed but online education is going on seamlessly through virtual classes” said Jha. He said for the first time theological subjects on Holy Quran and Hadith as per syllabi are being imparted online to madrassa students and these schools have been brought under the ambit of modern technology.

Principal, DIET, Khalilur Rahman Barbhuiya said the online pedagogy with joyful learning would help to develop the learning outcome of the students at the time of lockdown. “The administration and the teachers involved are doing everything in their power to continue to provide academic opportunities and mitigate any negative impact on our students caused by these extraordinary circumstances to the extent possible,” quipped Barbhuiya.