‘Ensure every child is learning at home during lockdown’

May 30, 2021 44 Views No Comment

Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 30

In view of the present COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state, the state government has imposed a state wide lockdown and all the educational institutions are closed down.

In a webinar organised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India on May 17 last, the Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India, emphasized that Education is a continuous process and children have a natural tendency and desire to learn and therefore we must sustain our efforts of continuous education even during this difficult time.”

In this context, Nagaland Education Association (NEA) President, Dr Zavise Rume strongly emphasized to ensure that “education is not lost and our resources not wasted during this difficult time.”

“We must promote a continuous dialogue with students and children to cater to the needs of academic, career, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the students,” he felt.

Dr Rume also stressed on the need to do everything to recover the losses of school learning. “We must ensure that every child is learning at home during this lockdown period,” he said.

Use home as a resource centre

A home should now be used as a resource centre for children learning. Parents must be oriented on how to facilitate their children in learning from home. There are many values and skills that children can learn from home rather than from school.

Parents must be oriented on how to teach their children so as to minimize the school learning losses and to ensure continuity of learning.

Home learning must now essentially form an integral part of the school curriculum. Every child must be encouraged to work with parents to learn good values and healthy habits like early to bed, early to rise, skills of cooking, gardening, domestic works, home economy, cleanliness, community health and hygiene and so on, Dr Rume said.

“Teachers while taking online classes, must teach and evaluate their students on how the students can work with parents,” he said.

Students can be given to perform many creative works from home like drawing, arts, painting, writing poems apart from creative physical works, he said adding that many children especially the orphans who lost their parents recently are experiencing unbearable and un-repairable mental anxieties, stresses and tortures during the lockdown situation.

“We must explore all possibilities to engage our students in physical activities, mental and spiritual activities. We must use our homes as a centre for promoting spiritual, mental and emotional well-being of the students,” he said adding that children must be encouraged to engage themselves in spiritual activities like singing, praying, meditating and physical exercises.

He also stressed on the need to promote regular Counseling at home or even tele counseling, adding “Every parent and teacher must be oriented on the basic skills of how to handle emotional issues.

While taking online classes, teachers must devote a few minutes time to emotional and spiritual activities like meditation, singing, praying, telling short stories, ice breaking activities, provoking questions on the present situation.

There is an increasing need for regular interaction with teachers so that teachers are empowered to sustain their efforts of continuous education for children to learn maximum from homes, he added.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/ensure-every-child-is-learning-at-home-during-lockdown