BHUBANESWAR: The State government has decided to introduce the provision of special classes and assignments for schools students for the entire 2022-23 academic session under a comprehensive learning recovery plan (LRP). The decision comes after a survey found over 40 per cent students from Class I to VIII struggling to secure scores above 20 per cent in language papers and mathematics.
School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said tender has been invited to develop a fresh course containing important topics from four major papers including languages, science and mathematics to address the learning loss of students. Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) officials said the tender will be finalised in next 15-20 days and efforts are on to introduce it from the 2022-23 academic session.
Special booklets will be prepared and distributed among students. Home assignments will also be given to students under the plan. “Extra classes will be conducted throughout the year and class tests held under LRP,” an OSEPA official said.
In view of the OSEPA’s LRP, the State government has already curtailed summer vacation by a month to conduct extra-classes from May, the beginning of a new academic session, and teach students about key chapters of their previous classes to improve their learning standards.
The official further said a year-long plan has been worked out as one month will be too less to recover the learning loss of students. The baseline survey of OSEPA carried out between October 25 last year and March 11, 2022 has found alarming level of learning loss among students of Class I to VIII in key subjects - Odia, English and mathematics. Nearly 40 per cent students have not been able to secure above 20 per cent marks.