Enhancing students’ learning is a gradual process: DSEK

Baramulla, Dec 23: Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Naseer Ahmad Wani on Tuesday said that improving learning outcomes of the students was a continuous process and the targets cannot be achieved through shortcuts.

Talking to Greater Kashmir on the sidelines of a workshop organised at Girls Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Baramulla, DSEK said that the students are enrolled as blank papers in schools and their learning levels improve in a gradual process.

“Improving the learning levels of students is not a task which can be completed in a day. The students are enrolled in schools like blank papers and after joining the schools, their learning levels improve with the passage of time,” he told Greater Kashmir. He said the learning levels of the students, as pointed out in the National Achievement Survey (NAS), is of different levels in different classes. “NAS shows us the mirror of the learning levels of our students,” he said.

He said the performance of the students, in NAS, is assessed in different subjects- Mathematics, Science, Languages and Social Studies in class 3rd, 6th and 9th. “As per the report card, we are lagging behind at National Level. And at UT level every district has different level of performance. In some districts it is good while in some districts it is poor,” DSEK said. Briefing about the report card of NAS-2024 which was unveiled in July this year, DSEK said that on the basis of the outcome, they have started district wise orientation programmes to deliberate on how the learning levels can be improved.

“We are utilising vacation period to plan things for improvement and betterment,” he said. About the functioning of District Institute of Education and Trainings (DIETs), DSEK said these institutes have become vibrant and have improved their performance as well. “We are planning for more improvement in DIETs in the coming year. Teachers are deployed in DIETs and SCERT as per the requirement and the expertise. But their deputation is not for a lifetime,” he said. About the vacant positions in DIETs, DSEK said they are expecting promotions in winter break following which positions of lecturers will be filled in DIETS and schools as well. “We have set a target that the academic year 2026 will be the year of academic excellence. We will plan positive measures during winter vacations for their execution in schools post vacation. We will be better next November compared to what we are today,” he said.