Second edition of First Bell likely to begin on June 1, KITE submits proposal to govt

The second edition of First Bell, the virtual academic programme implemented last year in the wake of the pandemic, is likely to start from June 1 for Classes 1-10 and 12.

The online telecast of a First Bell class

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second edition of First Bell, the virtual academic programme implemented last year in the wake of the pandemic, is likely to start from June 1 for Classes 1-10 and 12. For Class 11, the session will begin later, after the Class 10 results are published. The newly-elected government will take a decision on the matter at the first cabinet meeting after the swearing-in, a source close to the General Education department said. 

The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) has already submitted a proposal to the state government regarding the plan of action for First Bell in the new academic year. As per the proposal, KITE Chief Executive Officer K Anvar Sadath has highlighted four areas -- academic, technical, execution and monitoring activities -- that need to be focused on to prepare for the coming academic year. “KITE has submitted a slew of proposals to the government. It is up to the cabinet to take the policy decisions now,” Anvar told TNIE. 

The proposal also stressed the need for centralised virtual classes through the KITE VICTERS television channel and simultaneous online classes from teachers of the respective schools, so as to ensure that there is no gap among students when it comes to the mode of learning.

 Academic activities.  

• The syllabus to be completed for a term should be decided before the beginning of classes, keeping in mind that the new academic year would be completely virtual. The syllabus and the time table should be published prior to the classes
• After each class, teachers and guardians should be informed of the further learning activities including homeworks and other tutorials. This will ensure that students learn more at home instead of just depending on the online classes
• Classes, assignments and worksheets should be always made available in the Samagra portal. The tutorials must be simple and it should make students capable of thinking logically
• Due importance should be given to arts, sports and life skill activities in the learning process, considering the students’ mental health in the wake of pandemic and lockdown 
• Separate teachers’ manual should be formulated for those working at the ground level

 Technical activities.  

• Classes should be more active, practice-oriented and use elements like graphics, so students can learn more easily 
• A centralised platform is needed for teachers to directly take classes for Classes 10 and 12, and others if needed
• Visuals of students learning at home can be added as ‘inserts’ or in ‘picture-in-picture’ format during class
• Artificial intelligence and augmented reality can be integrated to make classes lively 
• Outdoor shooting of classes, interviews and team teaching should be entertained

 Execution.  

•  In the first phase, classes should focus on sessions to reduce students’ mental stress, as they haven’t been attending school for the past one year. Experts should chip in
• A bridge course including the portion taught in the last academic year should be conducted as no examinations were conducted. This will help students warm up for the next academic year
• For Class 10 students, teachers of respective schools can directly start online classes from June 14. For this purpose, teachers’ training should also be completed as early as possible 
• Arrangements should be made for students of higher secondary classes to meet their teachers in person to clear their doubts and interact 
• Students can attend virtual classes from nearby libraries, anganwadis and other study centres.

 Monitoring activities. 

•  Teachers should ensure that students are able to learn via various virtual platforms
• A system should be in place at the school, sub-district, district, state levels to ensure that all students have access to classes
• A special monitoring system should be in place for students living in special zones like tribal and coastal areas. A permanent solution should be arrived at to ensure these students can learn without interruption  
• Samagra Shiksha Kerala, SCERT and KITE should work in coordination. A strong monitoring system should be built under the supervision of general education director
• Higher secondary teachers should monitor the higher secondary section separately 
• Services of State Institute of Educational Technology can also be used 
• Empowered committee led by general education secretary should review the proceedings once in two week