Going digital, the HRD ministry proposed online portals like E-Pathshala through which students will be able to access study material online. The application will be available across Android, Windows and iOS platforms and will contain textbooks in English, Hindi and Urdu.
Earlier this year, Government had also launched another similar initiative called eBasta, a collaborative platform where school Book publishers, School teachers, students and even various etailers can participate.
At the event Smriti Irani mentioned, “We are trying to leverage technology not only to bring more transparency in school education system but also to create new learning opportunities for the children.” This will assist parents in keeping track of any changes in the education structure and allow them to keep a tab on their child’s performance and attendance.
The HRD minister also launched another initiative ‘Saransh’ which will help parents in analysing the performance of their child in the core subjects at district, state and national levels. This will also give them an overview of major improvement areas and how the student can work on it.
Smriti Irani supported the above by saying, ”Our ministry, along with some state governments, is also working to lessen the burden of exams on students.” She also talked about the urgency to reduce the burden on students and incorporating the above initiatives in the system by early next year.
A couple of more initiatives like Shala Siddhi and Shaladarpan will also be released subsequently. Shala Siddhi is more school-centric, in which a school will be able to review current performance and strategize its future goals accordingly. This will incentivise the school to perform better and improve by having a clear understanding of its own initiatives. Shaladarpan intends to keep the parents abreast of their children’s attendance, time-table and marksheets etc.
The main motive of the ministry seems to be in line with the students’ and parents’ views i.e reducing the burden on students and increasing the involvement of parents in their education as well. These initiatives will not only allow students to be aware of their goals and competencies, but also help them in developing an overall personality.