Education is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the control of the respective State Governments. Under the Integrated scheme for School Education - Samagra Shiksha, effective from the year 2018-19, there is a provision for supporting States and UTs on interventions related to Guidance and Counselling in schools. Funds are proposed to be provided to the States/UTs, in the current financial year 2019-20 in order to encourage teachers to function as the first level counsellors in schools. Also, State-specific projects are funded to address the issues of adolescent children.
Various steps have been taken by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to make the teaching process student friendly which are as under:-
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Guidelines have been issued to transact curriculum in a student centric manner with promotion of active learning through focus on reflections and creating and constructing knowledge. Teachers have been advised to follow inclusive principles and not label children as ‘slow learners’ or ‘bright students’, or ‘problem children’.
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CBSE has introduced Experiential Learning from 2019-20 session onwards. Accordingly, the schools plan the curricular activities in such a way which enable students to connect the content of their learning areas and subjects with their own lives and the world around them.
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The learning outcomes developed by NCERT help the teachers to direct their teaching-learning in the desired manner and make other stakeholders responsible and alert towards their role for ensuring quality education.
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In order to promote life skills and value education, CBSE has integrated Health and Physical education with academics. Every school provides for one period per day for sports which leads to better stress management for children and also creates a better environment for learning.
In line with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005, NCERT has developed textbooks that cover the aspects of stress, anxiety and other related problems in schools. The Psychology textbook of class XI addresses peace concerns in its chapter on ‘Motivation and Emotions’. The concerns for health and well-being have been taken up in the Psychology textbook of class XII in chapter 3 on ‘Meeting Life Challenges’, which tries to equip the student with aspects and causes of stress and the development of positive health. NCERT through its Adolescence Education Programme tries to inculcate life skills in the students who are at this crucial stage of their lives.
NCF, 2005 advocates facilitating healthy growth and development of students across all school stages and scope for guidance/counselling at each of these school stages from elementary through secondary and higher secondary stages. NCF has also articulated the concern to provide guidance and counselling in schools to deal with stress related problems and to guide students, parents and teachers to lessen the students’ stress. It particularly emphasises the need to provide guidance and counselling by trained professionals to create the support system for meeting academic and social pressures.
The information was given by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
