NCERT to evaluate students of state schools

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, November 3, 2024

A team from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is scheduled to visit Tripura from November 5th to 7th to conduct the second phase of ‘Vidya Pravesh Evaluation’ for Grade-I students. This evaluation will assess the progress made by students who have completed the ‘Vidya Setu’ module, a localized adaptation of NCERT’s ‘Vidya Pravesh’ program, implemented under the NIPUN Tripura Mission.

The ‘Vidya Setu’ initiative was introduced with the goal of providing a common learning foundation for newly admitted Class-I students, who often come from various educational backgrounds such as pre-primary schools, Anganwadi centers, private institutions, or directly from home. The program supports the objectives of the NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Mission by preparing students with foundational literacy and numeracy skills, including recognizing letters and numbers up to 10.

Following its rollout, ‘Vidya Setu’ has been implemented as a nine-week bridge course, designed to ensure that all students are ready for the curriculum appropriate to their grade. The state adopted this curriculum to bridge learning gaps and to equip students with basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills, providing an equal footing for all students in Grade-I.

In the upcoming evaluation, a six-member NCERT team will focus their visits on the districts of Gomati, West Tripura, Sepahijala, and Khowai. Their assessment will include direct observations of student performance and interactions with teachers, parents, and community members. The team will be supported by field investigators already deployed across all eight districts in Tripura.

The first phase of the ‘Vidya Pravesh Evaluation’ took place in June 2024, where NCERT not only evaluated student progress but also gathered feedback from teachers, parents, and community members on the benefits and challenges of using ‘Vidya Setu’. The initial assessment revealed promising results, with students showing progress and teachers effectively utilizing Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) to enhance learning.

The findings from this second phase of evaluation will offer deeper insights into the overall impact of ‘Vidya Setu’ on student learning and the effectiveness of the NIPUN Tripura Mission’s efforts. As the NCERT team prepares for their visit, educators and stakeholders across the state are hopeful that the program will continue to foster foundational skills in young learners, setting a strong educational foundation for years to come.