Odisha government plans to provide children with a stress-free learning environment

Bhubaneswar: When schools return on Monday (February 28) for Classes I to VII after being closed for two educational sessions due to the COVID outbreak, many youngsters will be attending their classrooms for the first time. Parents and children are both worried.

The School and Mass Education Department has devised intricate procedures to allay parents' fears and ensure a smooth start to the new school year following the pandemic.

On Sunday, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash told reporters that the session would begin with interactive and engaging activities.

At a meeting with senior officials from the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Dash said special plans had been made for mind-refreshing activities for pupils (CHSE).

Schools have been asked to conduct the rapport-building exercise as part of a series of activities to create a stress-free and enjoyable learning environment for children, according to the Minister. Activities include open discussion, brainstorming, storytelling, painting, complete the picture, writing how they spent their time during the pandemic, and more.

Educators would aim to form emotional bonds with pupils in order to establish a positive learning environment in schools, he added.

He stated that the focus would also be on rejuvenating the students' minds by holding a special event next week and that the teaching process will begin gradually.

The administration had previously reopened schools for children in classes 8 to 12 on February 7. Due to Panchayat elections and requests from local officials to prepare the schools to welcome back students, the decision to reopen physical classes for Class 1 to 7 from February 14 has to be postponed till February 28.