New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday directed schools to focus on academic quality, digital infrastructure, and the holistic development of students.

The Education Minister, in a virtual meeting, appealed to school heads and principals to utilise available resources efficiently and effectively.

He said the Delhi government is working towards making the education system more effective through “Tangible Learning Outcomes”.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to promote virtual interaction, Sood held a detailed meeting through video conferencing with principals and Heads of Schools (HOS) of government schools from Zones 24, 26, 27, and 28 of South, Central, and New Delhi districts to review the ground realities and functioning of schools.

The Education Minister urged all principals and school heads to develop familiarity with the virtual meeting system.

He informed them that meetings would continue to be held virtually over the next few months.

Sood directed that a clear protocol and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) be prepared for conducting virtual meetings to ensure smooth, disciplined, and effective communication without any disruption.

The Education Minister said that the Delhi government is giving special emphasis to strengthening digital infrastructure in government schools.

Through digital tools and modern technologies, students are being provided maximum academic support to ensure their holistic development and help Delhi government schools achieve new educational benchmarks, he said.

He also directed all schools to work on “Five Best Practices,” which include awareness related to pollution control, water conservation, energy conservation, mental health, and protection against drug abuse.

These activities and innovations will also be featured in the department’s magazine, he said.

The Education Minister stated that obtaining “NIPUN” certification – an Initiative for proficiency in reading with understanding and numeracy – would be mandatory for all schools by 2028.

He directed schools to promote at least one specific sport in each institution so that students’ physical health and sporting talent can also be developed.

He said that the Delhi government is promoting AI-based learning systems in all government schools. Under this initiative, several processes such as attendance systems, paper setting, and evaluation of answer sheets are being technology-enabled. This will reduce unnecessary workload on teachers and allow them to focus more on teaching and student learning.

During the meeting, the Education Minister instructed teachers to focus equally on both practical and theoretical components of students’ learning in accordance with the new guidelines of the Central Board of Secondary Education.

He noted that students often perform well in practical examinations but fail to achieve expected results in theory, which affects their overall academic performance.

–IANS

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