Bhubaneswar: Children of Sishu Vatika and Classes I & II across Odisha will be given ‘Jaadu Pedi’ (magic box) to enhance their learning experience. These unique kits will be provided from this academic year.
The ‘Jaadu Pedi’, conceptualised under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has been designed by the NCERT to make learning more engaging for young students, an official statement said on Tuesday.
The kits will include commonly used articles aimed at helping children understand their practical applications in a playful and interactive manner.
Each kit costs approximately Rs 20,000, and the initiative will be rolled out in 45,000 schools Statewide. The Odisha Government has allocated a total budget of Rs 90,000 crore for the project.
After being briefed about the initiative, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his happiness and said these would be immensely useful for the tiny tots. During a meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, School and Mass Education Secretary Shalini Pandit informed the Chief Minister about the objectives and expected impact of the ‘Jaadu Pedi’ on foundational learning.
The play-based learning programme targets children aged between 3 and 8 years. It focusses on fostering cognitive growth, emotional well-being, and foundational skills in language and mathematics.
Notably, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had in 2023 launched the kits as a tool for foundational-stage teaching and learning, promoting the motto ‘Learning through Play.’
