Changing face
The Capital has always stood out from the rest of the states across the India for its culture, heritage, and politics. But the education system of the city was not different from the other metro cities. The city has more than 2,000 private schools run under the influence of politicians or industrial groups. These schools are meant for children hailing from well-to-do and upper-middle-class families. Families which cannot afford the high fees of these schools are left with no option but to send their children to government and civic body-run schools. With the change in the politics of the city, Delhi witnessed a change in the education system from 2015 onwards. way of teaching will reduce the dropout ratio and improve knowledge retention through e-learning. SDMC has completed the work in 24 wards while the work to equip further 104 wards is in progress. The remaining schools will also be provided with similar facilities.
SDMC Mayor said, “Our aim is to double the number of schools with such facilities. Besides, we are also taking steps to improve the skills of students by organising extracurricular and relevant activities. Our aim is to make the students smart in every aspect. Other unique methods of teachings are also being considered to make them able to compete in such a competitive environment”
“This technology-based platform will probably be much easier and interactive for all the children compared to the existing traditional teaching methods; and will leave a stronger impact on the minds and help them learn better,” said Meeta Singh, Additional Commissioner (education). She also said that the move will help students to learn things in a very interesting way. “The classroom lessons will be available in digital format to make it interesting to the students. The concept enables us to make sure every child makes progress,” she said.
However, an official of the Ark Foundation, an NGO that has implemented the initiative in the Corporation’s schools, said, “We started our first school in Lajpat Nagar III, in July 2015 in partnership with SDMC which runs 589 primary schools; many of which are struggling with declining pupil rolls, and low quality of education. When Ark started supporting the school there were only nine pupils enrolled in grade I out of which only five were attending classes, but it has significantly and gradually increased to 120, and now is close to 380.”
“We reached out to the most underserved communities to increase enrollment. We undertook a series of a door to door surveys, information events and admission stalls to convince parents who had lost faith in the government system,” he said. He further highlights that low attendance in Corporation primary schools has been a matter of concern. “We are proud to announce that the average attendance rates have been registered to be 83 per cent after taking such moves to reform the education.
“Pre-educational robotics kits and activities help children develop a stronger understanding of mathematical concepts such as number, size, and shape. Robotic manipulative also allow children to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while also engaging in collaboration and teamwork,” he said.
Earlier this year, SDMC had already set up a firstof-its kind robotic lab in the South Extension to provide smart class education, to help students attain a holistic approach to learning, which is beyond the routine curriculum. “We are in the process and soon all our schools will be equipped with such facilities,” the official added.