Date:26/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/26/stories/2008092659910400.htm

Tamil Nadu

Pat for Activity-Based Learning

Special Correspondent

Team from Arunachal Pradesh visits primary schools in Chennai and suburbs

TAMBARAM: After a visit to primary schools in Chennai and its suburbs, interactions with State and Block-level officials of the School Education Department’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan wing, a delegation of officials from the School Education Department of Arunachal Pradesh said on Thursday that Tamil Nadu was the best State to study the success of Activity-Based Learning.

Talking to reporters in Tambaram after interacting with officials of the SSA of St. Thomas Mount Block, Ashok Tajo, Deputy State Project Director, SSA in Arunachal Pradesh, said they were in Chennai for the past two days and they were thoroughly impressed with the system, efficiency of teachers and its success in improving the quality of education imparted to students.

“One striking feature is the convergence of Integrated Child Development Services schemes of the Social Welfare Department and Early Child Care Education (SSA of School Education Department) in Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Tajo said.

The delegation would be submitting their proposals, recommending the implementation of Tamil Nadu’s model of ABL in primary schools to their State Government. “If the government gives the green signal, we would implement it as a pilot project for I and II Standards,” the official said.

“M.P.Vijaykumar (Honourary Advisor, SSA) and State Project Director R.Venkatesan have assured their complete help to implement the ABL in Arunachal Pradesh and we are extremely happy with this gesture from the Tamil Nadu government,” he said.

Now, they continued to follow conventional teaching methods in Arunachal Pradesh. There were about 4 lakh boys and girls in about 1,200 primary schools in the 16 districts. “We spend crores of rupees on education, textbooks for children, but still they are unable to learn,” he remarked, adding it was completely different in Tamil Nadu.

At present, they were implementing a Quality Enhancement Programme in Arunachal Pradesh to improve the quality of learning and teaching in primary schools and hoped it would deliver the desired results even if they were not in a position to implement the ABL in the near future.