Bhubaneswar: As the Odisha government rolled out the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 in schools, students will be allowed to attend classes without school bags for ten days every academic year.
While implementing the NEP-2020 at the school level, the School and Mass Education department is set to introduce a revised curriculum framework and a new academic timetable aimed at reducing students’ academic burden and promoting experiential learning.
Officials said that District Education have been asked to ensure implementation of the guidelines, while school authorities have been instructed to strictly follow the new provisions.
As per the revised guidelines, schools will remain open for 230 days in an academic year. Of these, 190 days will be devoted to teaching and learning activities and there will be seven periods every day. Twenty days will be set aside for formative and summative assessments and related activities, while another 20 days will be earmarked for annual functions, sports meets and other co-curricular events.
Students of Class VI to VIII will observe 10 bagless days annually. For Shishu Vatika students, every Saturday will be a bagless day. The initiative aims to ease the learning load and encourage activity-based education.
The department has earmarked 20 days in the academic calendar for annual functions, sports festivals and other school activities.
For enhancement learning activities, one out of four designated periods will be observed as a bagless session. A total of 42 teaching periods will be conducted every week for all classes.
The authorities have prepared 498 timetables covering classes from shishu Vatika to Class VIII. Officials directed schools across Odisha to implement the new timetable and comply with all prescribed guidelines under the NEP-based framework.
Sources said special provisions have been made for early childhood education. Sishu Vatika students will participate in a daily 15-minute circle-time session involving storytelling, poetry recitation, oral games and free interaction with teachers. Weekly Sishu Sabha programmes will also be organised every Saturday, featuring debates, quizzes, speeches, drama, creative writing and cultural activities.
The revised framework further focuses on strengthening reading habits through regular library sessions. Language classes for younger students will emphasise oral communication, reading and writing skills, while pre-reading and pre-writing activities will be conducted for Sishu Vatika children.
