Eyeing innovation, collaboration, ‘Shiksha Saptah’ in Haryana schools begins today

The Haryana education department is set to kick off a week-long series of programmes in schools starting Monday, under the Union ministry of education’s guidelines to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, with ‘Shiksha Saptah’. The aim of the exercise is to foster a spirit of collaboration and innovation among learners, educators, policymakers and stakeholders in the education sector.

Each day of the week will feature a different theme, encouraging students to take up new challenges. The ‘Shiksha Saptah’ also promises a comprehensive celebration of educational progress, emphasising the pivotal role of foundational skills and collaborative efforts in the broader educational landscape. “The initiative reflects the commitment to nurturing an innovative and inclusive educational environment in line with the NEP’s transformative vision,” Haryana officials involved in this programme said.

The Haryana School Education Directorate had on July 17 instructed district education functionaries to ensure that all the educational institutions conduct activities and programmes as per the July 9 guidelines of the Union ministry of education.

Education officials said the occasion offered a chance to reflect on the transformative reforms introduced by the NEP-2020 and to renew the commitment to implement the initiative across the state. “The first day will be dedicated to teaching-learning material (TLM), focusing on encouraging teachers to showcase material based on local contexts and integrate it into the teaching-learning process,” said Pramod Kumar, state programme officer of the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN).

The institutions are required to submit detailed reports, photos, videos and news clippings of the conducted activities to the district education officers (DEO) by July 28.

On the second day, events will be focused on raising awareness about the importance of foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills in early education. According to officials, the focus on FLN is noteworthy.

These foundational skills are essential for a child’s cognitive development and overall learning ability, building confidence, fostering a positive attitude towards learning and ensuring equitable education, officials said. The FLN refers to the ability of children to read with comprehension and perform basic mathematical operations by the end of grade 2.

The third day will emphasise sports and fitness through sports activities. The fourth day will be celebrated as cultural day, aiming to foster unity and diversity among students. The fifth day’s theme will be skill education for building a competent and competitive workforce, followed by a plantation drive in collaboration with local communities.