PANJIM: The Education Department on Friday issued a circular over implementation of National Education Police for class IX from academic year 2024-25.
The circular issued by Education Director Shailesh Zigde has asked all the heads of the institutions to take appropriate action to implement NEP 2020 for class IX for the academic year 2024-25.
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“All institutions will maintain minimum 5 and half instructional hours which shall not include assembly, recess and remedial teaching. The school timings may be decided by the schools concerned in consultation with all stakeholders,” the circular has said.
The State government had on May 29, 2024, agreed for 1,200 hours of instruction per year and five-and-half hours per day for teachers after the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP).
Secretary (Education) Prasad Lolayekar had held a meeting with the association of different subject teachers of secondary schools at Porvorim.
The teachers were briefed about the implementation of NEP-2020 for the academic year 2024-25. The teachers brought to the notice of the Secretary that as per National Curriculum Framework (NCF), the teachers had 29 hours of instruction per week and five and hours per day. They pointed out that teachers are already working for almost 33 hours per week.
Reacting to the circular, All Goa Secondary School Teachers Association (AGSSTA) thanked the government for resolving its concern by not increasing the workload of the teachers.
In a statement, AGSSTA president Savio Suraj Victoria said the intention of the government should not be to harass the teachers.
He said compulsory subjects can be completed within five-and-half hours everyday.
He said the earlier suggested timing by the DoE meant that the student compulsorily remained in school for nine hours without having too many choices of skill based education.
“The additional vocational courses which the students can select of their choice can be conducted during the last period or after lunch so that they can go home and come back in the evening to avail the courses of their choice if it is available or go to any other institution where it is available,” he said.
“The student is free to get involved in activity of his/her choice like coaching in sports disciplines etc which could have been denied to him with timings suggested earlier.,” he added.
