NEW DELHI: To engage students more in academics, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has set a target of introducing smart classes in one school in each of its wards. Currently, there are five schools under the East MCD that offer smart classes. There are 350 schools under the civic body.
“EDMC has got 64 wards, and every ward will have one school where three smart classes will be held. The process has already begun and one school in every ward has been selected. The project is for junior classes – 3rd, 4th and 5th standards,” said a senior official from the EDMC.
The official added that the electric department had already been given the requisition and it would be doing the work by issuing tenders.“The target is to finish having smart classes within this session, that is before March 31, 2020,” the official noted.
In smart classes, a smartboard is installed in the classroom, where the subjects are taught by projecting content on a screen. The curriculum is presented in a digital format. Speakers are placed in the classrooms, and principals can make announcement on them or speak to the teachers through them.
“The students are always more excited and engaged in smart classes. Whenever something is shown in a digital format, that always draws more attention from the students. They take more interest because they can see it instead of just reading it,” the official added.
EDMC saw big drop in student numbers in 2018
Last year, the EDMC saw the biggest drop in student numbers in the last five years, with 38,424 fewer students in its schools. The official said that this year 7,000 children had taken admission in nursery schools. “The reason for dropping out is primarily that the children take admission in other schools.
First, they take admission here and then they switch to those schools which offer secondary education. The Delhi government has started Sarvodaya schools that have admission from the nursery level. Sealing drive have also affected somehow,” an official said.