Education minister chairs biggest meeting on education during pandemic, Rs 5228 crore ad-hoc grants released

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' chaired a meeting with School Education Secretaries of all States and UTs through video conferencing to discuss the various measures adopted for management of education system during Covid-19 and the different strategies adopted for online and offline learning in schools so far and the way forward. Representatives from almost all the states and UTs attended the meeting including additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries Education Department; and with other State officials such as the State Project Directors, Director SCERT, etc. MoS suggests exploring hybrid education models Acknowledging that the government has adopted new and innovative methods in Indian education system to address the challenges arising due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MoS Shri Sanjay Dhotre stressed upon exploring ways to provide hybrid education comprising both offline and online teaching methods. The major areas identified for intervention are: Identifying and mainstreaming of Out of School Children and ensuring sustained Enrolment, Retention and Transition; Academic learning and cognitive development of students; Capacity building with specific focus on blended and home-based learning including student assessments and data use; Nutritional, socio-emotional support; Digital education and monitoring, tracking and remediation.