By: Zahoor Ahmad Lone
The union department of education has started a 100 days reading campaign –Padhe Bharat campaign for the school children from pre primary to class 8 th students .This campaign has been launched throughout the country. The purpose of this campaign is to achieve the aims and objectives of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. The aim of this campaign is to inculcate the habit of reading among children from 3-9 years of age.
In this connection Jammu and Kashmir State Council for Education Research and Training (JKSCERT) has also started the campaign throughout the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. The campaign has been started on 10 th of January 2022.For effective implementation of the campaign weekly calendar has been framed by the JKSCERT.As per the compaign the school children from pre primary to class 8 th have been categorized into three groups viz.
Group 1 – Pre Primary to Grade 2nd
Group 2 – Grade 3 rd to Grade 5th
Group 3 – Grade 6 th to Grade 8th
Reading campaign will help students to develop creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary and ability to express both verbally and in writing. The focus has been to make the reading enjoyable and building a life long association with the joy of reading. The campaign can be easily conducted with the help of resources available at home and at school. Children who read often become better learners which leads to success in school and other areas of life.
How to reach the children
Schools, homes ,Mohallas and by complete involvement of local self government.
SCERTs/DIETs/School Principals / Teachers choose reading material for this campaign that may include online/ offline story books / joke books/ comic books /poems/ rhyme books /flash cards etc.
Involvement of BRCs/CRCs/Parents/family members /volunteers.
Secondly/ Higher Secondary/College students can be involved.
All the stakeholders at the Jammu and Kashmir level including children, parents ,community, teachers have to take active part for the effective implementation of the campaign. Under this campaign one activity per week per group will be conducted. Due to covid 19 pandemic schools remained closed for the last two years. During this period students were getting education through different online modes and remained out of touch with reading books. In order to upgrade the reading skills in children this campaign has been started. In this campaign focus has been also laid on the Indian languages mother tongue/local/regional languages.
We all know that the closure of schools for two years due to the COVID 19 pandemic created a huge gap of learning among the students. This campaign of education can play a leading role in minimizing the learning gaps if implemented in letter and spirit. Every stakeholder especially teachers, volunteers and parents have to take active part. In Kashmir valley presently schools are witnessing winter vacations and will open in March if the Pandemic allows .Also no offline education is being imparted presently due to COVID-19 third wave. In such circumstances the question arises how to make this campaign a success. Charity begins at home .Most of the teachers can start this campaign at home.
They can take the participation of their own children, neighbors or relatives falling in this category as there is no bar .Moreover, 80% of primary and middle school teachers are posted in their locality. They can call school children to their respective homes in small groups of 10- 15 following proper COVID guidelines for effective implementation of this campaign. Our respected teachers played a great role during this pandemic. They left no stone unturned to impart education to children. Their efforts are appreciable. Hope like the past this time our great teachers will do their best to achieve the goals of the reading campaign. Parents and volunteers can also play an active part in this campaign. During community classes a good number of qualified youth took active part in community classes voluntarily. This time they can also become part of this campaign and help in achieving the desired goal. Mostly the children enrolled in government schools come from unlettered parents. Here the role of parents in the campaign will be negligible. But the other family members who are educated can play their part .In short the teachers have to play a major role for the effective implementation of this campaign. Let’s join hands to create a joyful reading culture.
Author is a teacher. He can be mailed at zahoorlone1979@gmail.com
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