Editor,
Recently, our state has witnessed poor results in class X and XII examinations. A series of lapses are responsible for such downfall and playing blame – game will not take us anywhere. A teacher, posted in capital complex region, who wants to remain anonymous, stated that some students in class 9 and 10 cannot even do simple division such as 24/4. This statement is also reflected in the Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2022 which shows that in Arunachal Pradesh, percentage of children in Class 5 who read Class 2 level text is 30.5%, whereas, percentage of children in class 8 who can read Class 2 level text is 69.6% moreover percentage of children in Class 5 who can do division is 19.5% and percentage of children in class 8 who can do division is 40.2%. The figures showing in ASER – 2022 data are quite worrisome and the recent results of class 10 & 12 are alarming. We need to find remedies for such disappointing outcomes.
The remedies for such lapses do not lie in short-term planning. Even though immediate relief can be provided but it is going to make a hole in the government’s treasury.
Many teachers and research scholars have quoted that the recent poor results is because of weak foundation of children in lower classes and the post-effect of COVID – 19 cannot be ruled out , which has led to a tremendous amount of damage to the state’s education system.
To stop this low pass – percentage, there should be long term planning (5 years) as well as immediate relief.
As immediate relief, we should identify slow learner students and provide remedial classes accordingly. To identify the slow learner, the concern authority should constitute a flying squad which may be composed of education officer, investigators (especially from M.Ed degree holder or PhD (education) scholars). The additional duties of flying squad is to keep an anecdotal record of each slow learner child and if required provide counseling and guidance to students as well as to teachers. Moreover, monthly progress report of each slow learner should be submitted to the concern authority. To provide remedial classes, government may direct the existing teachers to take extra classes in evening or in morning hour or government can recruit substitute teacher with some marginal honorarium something similar to MMSKS.
For long-term planning, focus should be concentrated on establishing a strong foundational base in a child. As quoted “new generation needs new generation teacher,” the government should direct all the concern district authority to submit the required vacant PRT posts and subsequently, announce fresh advertisement through APSSB or APPSC.
However, recruitment of PRTs should be divided into upper-PRTs (class 3 to class 8) and lower PRTs (Nursery to class 2) as the new education policy NEP-2020 redefine the education system as 5+3+3+4. The process of selecting the PRTs, should constitute of 3 tiers. Tier-1: before written examination, there should be teaching comprehension test where eligible candidates will exhibit their teaching skills such as lesson plan making, inductive & deductive methods, play way method, using of verbal and non – verbal communication, different kind of gesture, etc. in front of examiners or experts. If eligible candidates passed through Tier-1, then in Tier-2 they will face written test, which should consist of two papers, one subject oriented paper and another, general English and for Hindi aspirants general Hindi. 70% questions in the subject paper should consists of what they have learn in B.Ed or D.El.Ed courses and the remaining questions should be subject oriented i.e., 30 percent from Class 3-8 for upper PRTs and from Nursery-class 2 for lower PRTs. And the final Tier-3, is for viva-voce. Additionally, the government should also direct the flying squads to monitor the progress status of every district after the recruitment of fresh PRTs and provide the progress report every month.
If we do not act now, then in next 5-10 years we may produce a generation that have a degree but do not have appropriate skills and knowledge. As Verner E Suomi stated “A wait -and- see policy may mean waiting until it is too late.”
Keyom Doni
M.E 4th semester
Hills college of Teacher Education, Lekhi