The Directorate of School Education, Kashmir (DSEK) has come up with “innovative ideas” to keep school children, particularly specially-abled, engaged in their studies and other extra-curricular activities amid the ongoing lockdown.
Besides, the directorate has also started online counseling ofthe students to reduce their mental stress and keep them engaged with studieswhile being confined in their homes. The counseling also includes careerguidance of students.
The DSEK has uploaded a framework on its website for thestudents, particularly those with special needs, during the lockdown period,wherein the children could be engage in various activities at home.
“Due to the Coronavirus threat, the home quarantine of thechildren has created extra burden for parents/caregivers of person with disability.We have compiled some suggestions to help parents to engage their childrenduring quarantine period,” reads the framework. The framework has been preparedby National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities,department of social work.
As per the framework, the specially-abled students areengaged with drawing puzzles, shapes, crosswords and other extra-curricularactivities.
“It helps to engage child in useful manner, improves child’smemory, attention, concentration, problem solving skill, processing speed orflexibility of thinking,” reads the framework.
In the framework, the parents have been advised to engagetheir kids in all forms of extra-curricular activities to keep them engaged andreduce their stress level during the prevailing situation.
The J&K government on March 12 ordered for suspension ofclasswork in all educational institutions in J&K in wake of COVID-19outbreak. Later, the institutions were also closed for teachers following thenationwide lockdown announced by Government of India to avoid spread of theepidemic.
The DSEK has engaged experts from health department, UNICEF,IMHANS and career counselors for the career counselling and guidance of thestudents.
“Through this medium, students are provided with a Googleformat linked to the official website of the Directorate (www.dsek.nic.in) onwhich a student, a parent or a teacher writes his or her question,” an officialsaid.
The students and their parents are engaged by the teachersand other counselors on WhatsApp groups to hold virtual interaction sessionwith them.
“The platform has proved fruitful for the department as itis getting the huge response from the students,” the official said.