Yogi Govt To Bring Children Left Behind In Studies Back Into The Mainstream; Catch-Up Teaching Campaign To Gain Fresh Momentum

Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to make the Catch-up Teaching campaign more effective to eliminate learning gaps in foundational education. Under the campaign, IEC material related to Catch-up Teaching, NIPUN Lakshya, the 10 Effective Classroom Teaching Practices, and the Reading Campaign will be displayed in all government schools, BRCs, BSA offices, and DIETs across the state by July 31.

Director General, School Education and State Project Director Monica Rani has issued directions to Assistant Directors of Education (Basic), DIET Principals, District Basic Education Officers, Block Education Officers, District Coordinators, SRGs, and ARPs for the time-bound implementation of the initiative.

The directions state that the concerned IEC material should be printed and displayed at prominent locations in schools, BRCs, BSA offices, and DIETs so that teachers can use these academic messages in classroom teaching on a daily basis. Through this, the objective is to develop a uniform work culture of competency-based teaching across the state.

The Yogi government believes that the availability of uniform academic messages and clear learning goals in schools will provide direction to teachers' work and improve children's learning outcomes. By implementing Catch-up Teaching, NIPUN Lakshya, Effective Classroom Teaching Practices, and the Reading Campaign in an integrated manner, the Yogi government is continuously working towards taking the quality of foundational education in the state to new heights.

A 15-point strategy has been prepared for the effective implementation of the campaign. Under this strategy, special emphasis has been placed on identifying children who are behind their learning level, assessing foundational competencies, grouping students according to their learning level, preparing daily and weekly teaching plans, activity-based learning, effective use of TLM, regular practice, continuous assessment, promotion of reading activities, parental participation, and continuous monitoring of children's progress. The objective is to bring every child up to the learning level appropriate for their class and eliminate learning deficiencies within a defined timeframe.

The 'NIPUN Lakshya' posters to be displayed in schools specify clear learning goals for Language, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, and English from Balvatika to Class 5. This will ensure that the expected competencies for each class are clearly understood by both teachers and students, enabling teaching and assessment to become outcome-based.

The IEC material also includes the 10 Effective Classroom Teaching Practices. These emphasize adopting teaching methods such as active student participation, activity-based learning, the use of open-ended questions, writing and reading practice, effective use of TLM, continuous assessment, regular feedback, and collaborative learning. The objective of these practices is to make classroom teaching more effective and outcome-oriented.

The IEC material also gives prominence to the Reading Campaign. Special emphasis will be placed on developing reading habits among children and strengthening language proficiency through regular reading activities, reading corners, book discussions, storytelling sessions, and other innovative initiatives in schools. This will lead to continuous improvement in children's comprehension, expression, and learning abilities.