BHUBANESWAR: The government has decided to distribute ‘Jaadu Pedi’, a play-based learning material tailored for children developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), among children aged 3-8 years in 45,000 primary schools of the state.
Ahead of the distribution programme, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday had a look into the learning materials in the kit. School and Mass Education secretary Shalini Pandit briefed the chief minister about the various materials available in the kit.
The chief minister expressed happiness upon seeing the materials in Jaadu Pedi and said the children can learn about the utility and usage of local materials through the toys and play materials provided in the kit. These toys will not only help children learn but also attract them towards education, he added.
The learning materials in the Jaadu Pedi have been developed and contextualised by each District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) for children in pre-school, Class-I and Class-II as per the New Education Policy-2020. Each kit costs approximately `20,000 and will be distributed to around 45,000 schools with a total expenditure of `90 crore.
This initiative aims to make foundational learning engaging and interactive. The kit comprises playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, flash cards, story books and worksheets reflecting the local culture, social context and languages.
It is designed to generate curiosity among the children and accommodate the diverse needs of learners in the foundational stage, officials said.