Pune: Pune Zilla Parishad, a pioneering educational institution, is set to transform the way children learn with its innovative approach called "gamification." In a recent press conference, CEO Ayush Prasad announced a significant investment of Rs 4 crore in e-learning, aiming to enhance children's audio-visual comprehension and make education more enjoyable.
Recognizing the inevitable presence of smartphones and children's increasing engagement with platforms like YouTube, Pune Zilla Parishad plans to develop captivating and educational content tailored specifically for young learners. Prasad highlighted the immense popularity of the viral YouTube video "Baby Shark Dance" among children, emphasizing the need to create similarly engaging content.
“Smartphones and children’s increasing engagement with YouTube is a reality so it makes more sense for us to start creating engaging educational content geared towards them,” said the official.
The gamification approach involves integrating gaming elements into the learning process, making it interactive and exciting for students. By embracing this strategy, Pune Zilla Parishad aims to not only impart knowledge but also foster problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills among students.
In line with the National Education Policy 2020, Pune Zilla Parishad is actively exploring the concept of cluster schools. “Students from schools in the area can be brought to one campus wherein the infrastructure and subject-wise teachers and other arrangements are adequately made,” said the official.
Nipun Bharat Programme:
As part of their efforts to strengthen educational foundations, Pune Zilla Parishad is actively implementing the Nipun Bharat program, with a particular emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). Repetition is identified as a crucial factor in achieving the ambitious goal of "Nipun Pune" by 2025. Bridge courses, conducted by the Primary Education Office and District Institute for Education and Training (DIET), are instrumental in supporting this objective and have already shown an 8% increase in learning outcomes during recent assessments.
Pune Zilla Parishad has also made significant strides in enhancing student performance, as confirmed by a third-party assessment report presented during the press conference. The report highlighted positive growth in learning outcomes across multiple grade levels, showcasing the effectiveness of their educational initiatives.
“We have run programs and 53 secondary schools have already crossed the threshold of 80% or more pass percentage this year,” said the press release.
