Home search education
Hon’ble Minister of Finance in his financial statement notification said that to compensate for the learning gap and loss of students in classes 1 to 8 due to the spread of coronavirus, volunteers will be engaged in short learning activities for 1 to 11 hours daily (between 5 pm and 7 pm) to improve the learning ability of the students. He has announced the project “Home Search and Education”.
Therefore, in order to reduce the learning gap and losses of students studying in schools from 1st to 8th standard during the lockdown period due to the Corona epidemic, it is planned to implement this scheme “Home Searching Education” across the state. The state government will implement the project across Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs.200 crore under 100 percent financial contribution.
Project Vision:
Addressing the learning gaps and losses of students studying classes 1 to 8 in schools during the pandemic-related lockdown.
Scheme:
A. To provide learning opportunities to students outside of school hours, outside school campuses, and near student residences through small groups with the participation of volunteers.
b. Re-enforcement of learning skills already acquired by the students under the school environment through “Home and Education” program activities.
c. The program provides students with an opportunity to learn in a simple manner for a minimum of 1 to 1%2 hours daily (between 5 pm and 7 pm) for a period of 6 months and gradually engages them in daily learning activities.
Project Procedures:
34,05,856 students in 92,297 residences in Tamil Nadu are studying in schools from 1st to 8th standard. Due to the non-functioning of schools during the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a severe loss of learning among students. A rural residential-based home-based education program can help reduce learning losses among children to a great extent. Since this is a voluntary-based scheme, intensive awareness should be created in the community for the successful implementation of this scheme. First, social organizations should be involved at the village level to establish community integration. Various educational communication campaigns (IEC-Information Education Communication) should be carried out in the villages with the help of local folk artists through street dramas, puppetry, dance, songs, etc. to create awareness about the importance of the Illam Thirak education program.
Skill development activities, wall painting, etc. are organized at the school level. Posters, leaflets, and banners related to the “Illam Chidak Udaki” program should be displayed in the villages for all to see. Bicycle rallies should be conducted at the district level to attract the attention of the youth. Art, cultural dances, and songs spreading the spirit of “Home and Education” are planned with artists on mobile vehicles. At the state level, publicity campaigns will be carried out on social media to spread information about IEC educational awareness activities. News will be prepared and broadcast by state leaders and celebrities through television, radio, and other communication tools.
At the village level, appropriate “home-based education” teaching centers should be selected that are safe, hygienic, and accessible to children. Adequate electricity and drinking water facility should be ensured.
Also, the standard guidelines regarding Covid issued by the Union and Tamil Nadu governments should be followed.
The place chosen for the Center to function should be non-religious and non-partisan. This will accommodate all the children in the area. Places in government buildings, community halls, etc. within rural settlements should be given priority.
The entire project will be implemented based on the spirit of volunteerism. IEC Activities will issue an open call for volunteers to participate in this initiative. Volunteer recruitment includes volunteer registration, volunteer selection, volunteer training, and volunteer feedback. In order to facilitate all stages of volunteering, the “Illamthedikalvi Education” website (http://illamthedikalvi.tnschools.gov.in/) and online volunteer application has been developed. Using these, school-student-volunteer-village communication will be seamless.
Ensure sufficient volunteers are available to fill the gap if a volunteer wishes to take time off. These volunteers will be given intensive and extensive training in the use of teaching-learning materials to children once a month at the Union level. Similarly, once a week volunteers should be arranged to interact with the respective school.
Preference should be given to female volunteers from the same area. Volunteers who have passed class 12 are eligible to teach children studying in classes 1 to 5. Similarly, volunteers with degree qualifications are eligible to teach children studying in classes 6 to 8.
As a general rule, one volunteer should be assigned for every 20 children. If there are more children to teach, additional volunteers should be selected and recruited. If the children in an area are of different age groups then they are divided into the following 2 groups and separate volunteers are assigned to them.
(a) Classes 1 to 5.
(b) Classes 6 to 8.
Teaching strategies that include stimulation techniques help each child bridge the learning gap that has developed between children because they have not engaged in regular, formal learning for more than a year. During the first 10 days of the program, learning teaching events are independent of the curriculum.
Group-based participation, experiential learning, and activity-based learning will be preferred. Following this, numbers, basic functions, measurement, geometry, fractions, etc. will be gradually introduced to mathematics. If it is a language course, listening, speaking, reading, writing and comprehension will be emphasized. Subjects in Environmental Science, Science, and Daily Life are offered. The syllabus for “Home Search Education” classes will be developed by the State Institute of Educational Research and Training.
On average, volunteers’ involvement with students should be at least 6 hours per week. This means that 1 to 1% hours daily (between 5 and 7 PM) should involve students in learning activities tailored to the local context. The school should be evaluated periodically to ensure that the program is effective in bridging the learning gap of students.
This program should be implemented to include children with special needs.
It is very important to create awareness among the parents about the provisions of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act and the duties and responsibilities of the parents as part of the school management team while meeting the learning deficit of the child with the spirit of volunteerism while fully implementing the scheme.
The scheme also provides incentives to the stakeholders at all levels by giving appreciation certificates and awards.
Incentives will also be given to the volunteers in this scheme. The “Home Seeking Education” program is scheduled to start on November 1, 2021 (for 2 weeks) in 12 districts (Cudalur, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Trichy, and Villupuram). Based on the impact and results of the pilot scheme, the scheme will be expanded to all districts. The state-level scheme will run till May 2022 in conjunction with the academic year 2021-22.
Project Structure Method:
4 Tier Committees have been formed for better implementation of the “Home Search and Education” program across the state. They are State Level Committee, District Level Committee, Union Level Committee, and School Level School Management Committee.
Responsibilities of the District Level Committee:
The following steps are to be followed regarding enrollment registration for volunteers.
A home search education program should be introduced throughout the district through massive field advertisements and an art committee. All volunteers should register through the website http://illamthedikalvi.tnschools.gov.in/.
After the full awareness of the home search education program is created among the people, the field workers who are inspired by it and want to serve actively should be encouraged to serve as volunteers. In case of such consideration, the method of selection of volunteers should be streamlined in consultation with the representatives of the district level committee.
Responsibilities of the Union Level Committee:
• At the Union level, two teachers (Exclusively for this purpose with rich experience in community mobilization) should be identified by the District Committee and appointed full-time by the Principal Education Officer for this work.
• Assist School Management Committees to implement Home Search Education in coordination with District Level Committee.
• At the district level, the resource supervisor and all resource faculty instructors, volunteers, and teachers should be motivated and given refresher training.
• Refresher training for 10 existing school management teams.
• School Management Committees and Headmasters should “ensure that appropriate locations are selected for housing and education centers.
Responsibilities of Micro-level Committee:
• A team consisting of Headmaster-1, Faculty Instructor-1, and Teacher-1 should be specially appointed for this scheme at the Kuruvala Center level.
• Assist School Management Committees to implement Home Search Education in coordination with Union Level Committee.
• School Management Committees and Headmasters should assist Micro Center Level Headmasters in ensuring suitable locations for “Home Finding Education” centers. Also, monitoring the safety and hygiene of the centers.
• The team is responsible for motivating all the volunteers and teachers at the Kuruvala Center level.
• It is the responsibility of the Kuruvala Center Committee to address the challenges arising between the “Illam Thiruduk Edu” Center volunteers and the School Management Committee.
Responsibilities of School Management Committee:
• Home search and education volunteers should be selected using a specially developed mobile app (preferring local volunteers, women volunteers, those with interest in volunteering and education, etc.).
• Facilitate social integration and information, education, and communication activities.
• Identifying locations for centers near villages.
• Ensuring availability of all necessary facilities like water, electricity, and safety and sanitation of the centers.
Responsibilities of Center Head:
• Ensuring cleanliness, sanitation, and accessibility of educational centers housing students.
• Recruiting volunteers to plan weekly housing and educational classes.
• Ensuring that learning and teaching equipment is provided to volunteers/centers from schools.
• Improving the functioning of centers and redressal of grievances.
Financial Guidelines:
• In each district, savings account in the name of Housing and Education (at the district level) should be started immediately.
• The bank account should be a joint signatory of the District Collector and the Principal Education Officer.
• Opened bank account details should be sent to spd.ssatn@gmail.com.
• Expenditure should be made at the district level after obtaining the approval of the District Collector on the “Home and Education” budget.
• Expenditures should be undertaken in accordance with all project components.
• Expenditure on educational communication campaigns will be borne by the State Program Directorate. As advised and approved by the district-level committee, these expenditure-related activities should be followed.
• Files, cash register, and debit slips should be submitted at the time of inspection from the State Planning Directorate.
• Tamil Nadu Open Tender Act, 1998 and Tamil Nadu Open Tender Rules, 2000 must be strictly followed.
• All disbursements should be made through check and Electronic Transfer (ECS) as far as possible. If not possible then a cash transaction can be done.
• After completion of expenditure, a Utilization Certificate (UC) should be issued for this operation.
All the District Primary Education Officers are requested to implement the Home Search Education Program in the districts in the best possible manner by following the above guidelines.