Online learning is a new concept in the education system. And amid the pandemic, children find themselves lost in the maze of online learning which was an abrupt shift from the classroom setting. With the threat of the virus hovering over, the way back into the old system is still long, especially for the lower classes. Acknowledging all this, teachers at the Gelephu Middle Secondary School (GMSS) came up with an idea to assist the children in online learning.
The school, last month, launched the Home Engagement Learning Program (HELP), an instructional guide developed in line with the Curriculum, learning objectives and outcomes and assessments for every subject in each grade to help students cater their learning from home during such pandemic situation. The booklet consists of all subjects from Pre Primary to class IX that would help to bring partnership of teachers and parents in ensuring children’s engagement in home learning.
The school started reaching the booklets to students under Gelegphu Thromde area and nearby two gewogs of Samtenling and Gelephu.
According to the Principal of GMSS, Wangmo, the booklet will guide the students in problem-solving with parents’ assistance and independent learning as well.
“We expect our children to attend the online classes and then write the answers to any task given by their teachers in this booklet. This will help our parents guide the children and also it is going to help our children do some independent learning. Besides learning activities, this book also has a simplified version of concepts of the curriculum that they would be studying,” she said.
However, the principal says the booklet would not help the children in learning if they don’t attend online classes.
“We have a lot of simplified concepts that will be more convenient for children to understand and this will not help them if they don’t attend online classes. So it is important children attend online classes and but do the follow up of teachers activities in this book,” she added.
Some of the students who came to receive the booklet acknowledged their teachers for the noble initiative which will help all the students. They shared that online learning without any guide has been difficult.
“We had a difficult time understanding the topic and questions. We asked our friends to answer the question for us, but now with this booklet, we are going to write on our own and submit and study,” said Tilakchan Chhetri, a student in Gelephu Middle Secondary School.
The HELP booklet is being reached to the students who are stranded in other districts by the respective teachers through online medium. Guardians of these students were also asked to collect the hardcopy of the booklet to reach to them by transport services when the lockdown is lifted.
The HELP booklet was developed with financial support from the Thromde and a few parents contributing papers and neighbouring schools helping with the printing. According to the school, “this booklet “HELP” is the hallmark of our collaboration, professional commitment and determination to ensure quality education for our children.”
Karma Wangdi
