New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) Toys, puzzles, puppetry, posters, flash cards, worksheets and attractive storybooks are part of the “Jaadui Pitara” launched by the Ministry of Education for learning at the foundational stage.
Envisaged as a child-centric, innovative, toy-based learning experience that will strengthen conceptual understanding amongst the learners aged 3-8 years, the “Jaadui Pitara” has been designed on the motto of “learning through play”, as envisaged in the new National Education Policy (NEP).
“Jadui Pitara comprising playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, flash cards, storybooks, worksheets as well as reflecting the local culture, social context and languages is designed to pique curiosity and accommodate the diverse needs of learners at the foundational stage. Developed under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), the pitara is available in 13 Indian languages,” Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said at the launch.
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“It is a giant leap towards enriching the learning-teaching environment and making it more child-centric, lively and joyful for the Amrit generation, as envisioned in the NEP,” he added.
Pradhan said as a national think-tank, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) must leverage technology to translate the materials in the “Jadui Pitara” in all Indian languages and endeavour to expand its reach and make it available to the SCERTs for transforming early childhood care and the country’s education scenario.
“These resources should be made digitally available on the DIKSHA platform — the portal and the mobile app. All foundational learning material should be in the mother tongue,” the minister added.
The NCERT has developed a trainers’ handbook, mapping the curriculum goals for future training of teachers at the foundational stage, he said.
The NEP 2020 envisages a “5+3+3+4” curriculum pedagogical structure. The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education has formed the National Steering Committee, headed by K Kasturirangan, to develop the NCF for each of the stages.
The NCF for the foundational stage (FS) was launched by the Ministry of Education last year and according to the curriculum framework, the NCERT has developed and collected the learning-teaching material (LTM). Accordingly, the LTM for the foundational stage was launched on Monday, using the concept of “Jaadui Pitara”.
The “Jaadui Pitara” recommends learning and development in five domains — physical development, socio-emotional and ethical development, cognitive development, language and literacy development, aesthetic and cultural development. Positive learning habits have been included as another domain of development at this stage.
