Latest news with #VasantKalpande
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
3 million tiny tots get a new curriculum
MUMBAI: The state government has taken a significant step to bridge the existing gap between education imparted to children between the ages of 3 and 6 at the 1.1 lakh anganwadi centres across the state and that in primary schools, by approving a new curriculum for these children. This is the first time the state has introduced a uniform academic framework for anganwadis, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which will benefit over 30 lakh students. The curriculum, designed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), will be rolled out from the 2025-26 academic year. The School Education and Women and Child Development (WCD) departments have jointly approved the plan, with a formal government resolution (GR) issued by principal secretary Ranjitsinh Deol, on Monday. The GR also stated that the anganwadis will be geotagged, in line with regular schools. The curriculum, which is categorised under three levels -- Foundation Level Kindergarten 1, 2, and 3 – has been developed aligned with the foundational stage curriculum of the WCD ministry and NEP. Before it is implemented, anganwadi workers will get short-term training sessions, beginning June. This will be followed with a long-term diploma course. Anganwadi workers who have completed Class 12 will undergo a six-month certification course in early childhood care and education (ECCE), while those with a smaller span of formal education will be offered a one-year diploma. These programmes will be conducted both online or offline, and certificates awarded upon completion. Welcoming the decision, Vasant Kalpande, former director of school education said, 'The new curriculum's framework ensures that all pre-primary students enter Class 1 with similar learning levels. This will make it easier for them to understand the syllabus together, without anyone lagging behind.' 'The goal is to strengthen foundational learning and ensure consistent early education outcomes across rural, tribal and urban areas,' said Kailash Pagare, director of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). 'We've already trained 37,000 anganwadi sevikas in collaboration with SCERT. Training for the rest will be completed by the end of July.' The critique While Pagare noted that many sevikas have responded positively to the curriculum and see it as an opportunity to enhance learning outcomes, there are others who do not share his optimism. Speaking on behalf of grassroots workers, Shubha Shamim, president for the Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana, said: 'We already have our own structured system rooted in practical learning. The state's desire to put textbooks in the hands of children goes against the global 'no-bag' model for early learners.' She also pointed out the absence of clarity about the 'additional compensation or the status of anganwadis as government employees as a consequence of their increased responsibilities'. 'Anganwadis are being treated like extensions of the education department without adequate support,' she added. Another point of concern is the scope of the policy. While it covers government-run anganwadis and pre-primary schools under the ICDS, it remains unclear whether it applies to private nurseries, playgroups, and early education centres that serve a large section of Maharashtra's urban population. While welcoming the move, Swati Popat-Vats, president, Early Childhood Association and Association for Preparatory Education and Research (ECA-APER), pointed to important gaps. 'Any step to uplift the quality of foundational years is a step in the right direction. However, there needs to be alignment on the age of entry. If the policy defines Grade 1 entry at six years, the government must adjust nursery entry to three years accordingly,' she said. 'Also, a six-month training course may not be enough. A one-year programme should be the minimum qualification for ECCE teachers.' She urged the government to give autonomy to educators to adapt the curriculum based on the specific needs of their students. 'Clear communication is needed on whether this applies to private institutions as well. Such ambiguity could create confusion during implementation,' she said.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Maharashtra board exams: with 153 of 211 perfect 100 scorers, here's why Latur and Sambhajinagar produce so many toppers
With 113 students scoring a perfect 100 percent in Latur and another 40 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, the two districts together accounted for over 72 per cent of the 211 students that scored a perfect 100 per cent in the Maharashtra State Board's Class 10 exams this year. The results were declared on Tuesday. The twin districts that cover the entire Marathwada region have consistently churned out the most number of students with the perfect score in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations over the last five years. The credit, according to educators, goes to the famous 'Latur Pattern', which refers to the specific method they use to prepare for the board exams. Developed during the late 1980s, the Latur Pattern involves the continuous and mechanical practice of solving model question papers for months before the exams. This led to the rise of a coaching industry in Latur district which certainly helped the neighbouring districts of Nanded and Dharashiv (formerly known as Osmanabad) which are covered under the Latur division of the Maharashtra State Board. Experts believe that this neighbourhood impact witnessed a larger spread as similar study patterns were seen being replicated in the adjacent division of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar which also covers Beed, Parbhani, Jalna and Hingoli districts – thereby capturing the entire Marathwada region. Out of the total nine divisions under the Maharashtra State Board, these two divisions have together given rise to more than 70 per cent of the students who bagged full scores every year, except in 2021 when there was an exponential rise in the number of students who scored 100 per cent amid the pandemic. Vasant Kalpande, an education expert from Maharashtra, said, 'Schools in Latur conclude the academic session for Class 9 in December, way before it is supposed to end in March-April. The idea is to ensure an early start for Class 10 preparations so that the syllabus can be covered well in advance, and maximum time is spent on solving model question papers. The aim here is to prepare students with a strategy for what to write and how to write it so that they are able to score maximum marks.' Kalpande noted that many have argued in the past that this type of learning is not very favourable to advanced learning, 'especially for those who are extraordinarily talented, but they are brought to the same level as average scholars. But this system has shown great results in Maharashtra State Board exams where question papers are set to know more about what the students remember and not to test application-based knowledge or skills,' he said. Teachers pointed out that besides schools, even coaching classes in Latur focus on intensive training for students under the Latur Pattern. Kalpande recalled how students from Pune, Nashik too would go to Latur in olden days for this type of preparation, especially for competitive exams. Shrinivas More, a senior teacher at Rajarshi Shahu College, where the Latur Pattern is believed to have originated, said, 'Though it emerged in the 1980s, it continues to evolve with changing times. It changed the culture of this district where households too are very sincere about board exams. Schools and coaching classes take parent meetings every 10-15 days to track the progress of their wards and provide required help.' More highlighted how teachers found ways to ensure that students scored maximum marks, and thus Maharashtra State Board's scheme to give additional marks for excellence in extracurricular activity is being used to its fullest in Latur. 'The state board gives marks for recognised excellence in various extra-curricular activities such as drawing, performing arts, sports etc. This led to an increasing number of coaching classes for these activities in Latur and surrounding areas. Students could continue with their hobby even during board exam years as those achievements are going to ensure additional marks.' The data from the past five years shows how Latur has always topped among all divisions of MSBSHSE when it comes to the number of students who have scored 100 per cent. Latur is always followed by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division. A senior teacher at Maratha High School in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar puts things in perspective when he says that more than a replication of the Latur pattern, this is the impact of the competition in the Marathwada region to get admission to prestigious colleges for Class 11. He said, 'Rajarshi Shahu College in Latur is considered the most prestigious college to join for classes 11 and 12 as they prepare students for competitive exams along with Class 12 board exams. With so many high-scoring candidates in Latur, the cut-off here closes at 98 or 99 per cent. This high cut-off score for Class 11 admissions is the same across other colleges. This competition motivates others from the Marathwada region to score well in Class 10, which means replication of the Latur Pattern of studying is inevitable in neighbouring districts.' Number of students with 100% score in Maharashtra SSC in recent years:
