Delhi govt directs schools to push for 100% attendance in classes 10, 12

Nearly a week after the Delhi government allowed reopening of physical sessions for classes 9-12 in Delhi, the Directorate of Education (DoE) on Saturday directed schools to “strive for 100% attendance” of students in classes 10 and 12 so as to prepare them for the upcoming board examinations.

“DoE has directed the heads of schools (HoSs) to ensure that students of senior secondary sections, class 10 and 12, attend their classes regularly. For the next two months, teachers should strive for 100% students’ attendance and make optimum utilisation of time in completing the syllabus and preparing students for examination through revision activities and practicals,” the DoE said in a statement issued after a meeting.

Director of Education Himanshu Gupta said that along with subject chapters, attention should also be given to practical work. “After online classes for a long time, it has become very important to focus better on practical classes so that students can get hands-on learning experience. Individual attention will be given to each child for clearing their doubts. Daily review meetings will be conducted by HoS to understand the students’ requirements. School heads will also be able to call additional resource persons using SMC(school management committee) funds as per the learning needs of the children. Remedial classes will be conducted to enhance the confidence of students and recoup the loss in studies due to closure of schools,” he said.

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On February 9, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced it will conduct the second-term board examination for classes 10 and 12 in offline mode from April 26. The final datesheet for classes 10 and 12 will be released soon, CBSE said.

Delhi’s DoE on Saturday said students can also download sample papers and learning materials on the website of the Education Department, edudel.nic.in, under the Academic and Examination section. “Efforts will be made to bring back the children who have been away from school due to displacement or other reasons. The DoE will conduct a review meeting with district-wise education officers and school heads from Monday onwards so that children can be better prepared for the examinations,” read the statement.

The DoE also discussed reopening of classes up to Class 8 from Monday, noting that the focus will be on the social-emotional well-being of children through mindfulness-happiness class and foundational activities in the first two weeks. “Schools will help children to overcome stress and fear through mindfulness and happiness classes, so that they are able to connect back to their formal studies. Teachers will conduct one on one interactions with children to assess their reading and numeracy level and understand their emotional state. Students will be given opportunities to share their experiences by creating a suitable environment at schools. Instead of starting a new subject chapter, revision of the previous worksheets will be done,” it said.

Noting that learning gaps have widened due to intermittent closures of schools over the last two years, Gupta said it is important for teachers to focus on supporting their social-emotional well-being and strengthen the foundational literacy and numeracy skills through various activities.