Author: Giselle Marie Lobo| November 21, 2020
Imparting of quality education is one of the three objectives outlined by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). SSA is the central government body for education in each state. Its mission is the universalisation of primary education.
In working towards achieving this goal, the SSA has outlined many activities including grants for training, developing teaching-learning resources and the
purchasing of textbooks. However, these supports while praiseworthy ignore a very important aspect of quality teaching, namely the time set aside specifically to plan quality lessons.
Informal chats with teachers and principals reveal that there is no time allocated specifically for lesson planning in the week of the teacher. However, it is a clearly stated rule; that teachers are expected to hand in their lesson plans to the principal at the beginning of the week which is generally followed; despite this there is no provision for any formal time set aside to do this. It is expected that teachers do this at home on their own time.
A glance at the lesson plans of most teachers will reveal hastily written entries under the various columns required for lesson planning. For example, one might find objectives, the procedure for lesson aids and evaluation with the textbook and the chalkboard listed as the main teaching aids.
Most teachers interviewed, state that there is no time set aside for lesson planning and there is a lack of guidance and training in approach. Quality teaching is only possible when the teachers get time to review what they have learned during their training and put it into action in a timely way.
While the dedicated time for planning is yet to make its way into our culture of teaching, there is little doubt that without this, quality teaching will continue to elude us.
Tarang -Transforming Schools is one of the outreach programs for promoting inclusive education. One of the major components of this program is helping teachers plan quality lessons. By working with the management of schools which are part of this program the Tarang team has enabled teachers to set aside time each week to plan quality lessons.
GISELLE LOBO
Head of Inclusive Education