The school education department, for the first time, has prepared ‘summer projects’ for students which will take them outside their classrooms and get them acquainted with the surroundings and improve communication skills. The students are divided into three categories – classes V and VI, classes VII and VIII, classes IX-X and classes XI- XII (clubbed).
To implement the programme, district-level committees have been set up which will be headed by either the district magistrate or additional district magistrate. The head of the institution, with the help of other teachers will implement the project.
The involvement of nongovernment bodies and private organizations may be welcomed. The projects include case studies, data analysis, writing report after observation, group discussions and peer learning.
The students will interact with people and this will help them to develop their communication skills. The students will visit science centres, local libraries, heritage places, hospitals and other places of training and public exposure. The students will have to file reports on the places they visited and this will improve their writing skills.
The group discussions will help them to improve their communication power. Summer projects have become essential features of academic exercise, ranging from school to the university level.
They provide students with a toolkit for future success, including building on current interests, developing new skills. Sandip Banerjee, an educator, congratulated the school education department for taking up such a venture. “It will bridge the gap between the classroom and society.
Secondly, the students will get a chance to acquaint themselves with public behaviour.
The programme will improve the communication skills of the students which is important when they will be preparing themselves to get jobs,” Mr Banerjee maintained.