MHRD issues guidelines for digital learning amid coronavirus crisis

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has released a set of guidelines to be followed by schools while imparting online education. Read below to know more.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has announced that it has released extensive guidelines for digital education for states, schools, teachers, parents, and students.

The 20-pages rule-book titled Pragyata has been released after a meeting between the ministry and respective representatives from the states and Union territories on June 8.

The HRD Ministry has asked states to design and develop need-based strategies to create an appropriate digital learning environment. It has also asked them to adopt the alternative academic calendar developed by NCERT which was released by the Ministry earlier this month. 

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The ministry has also asked the state to “curate, develop and use digital resources and tools including Open and Free resources”.

Schools have also been directed to design alternative timetables without bringing any change in the face-to-face mode and facilitate availability and access to digital infrastructure for their teachers. However, the ministry has also been asked to reduce the screen time to 30 minutes on alternative days for pre-primary and two sessions of 20-45 minutes per day for elementary and four sessions of 30-45 minutes for secondary and higher secondary level students.

The guidelines also talked about parents and students to follow healthy online habits, postures while attending online classes and ensure safe and secure cyberspace.

In mid-March, schools around the country were shut due to coronavirus outbreak and classes were opted to be run digitally. For all those students who live in remote areas, the ministry has asked schools to ensure to impart educational lessons to them using radio and TV.

The Diksha portal by MHRD is providing CBSE, NCERT, and state-board syllabus from classes 1 to 12; it is available on the website as well as mobile-based app. For NCERT, classes 1 to 12 syllabus is also available on E-pathshala and National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER). SWAYAM, an online learning platform by the MHRD, has courses for students in classes 9 to 12 and higher. SWAYAM Prabha also imparts classes for NIOS students in classes 9 to 12, as per the ministry.