It is for notice that high schools in Andhra Pradesh have been shifted to a new timing schedule by the state government. The school timings are planned to be extended from 9:00 am-4:00 PM/9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. This has been done to enable the students to get more time for learning apart from changing the overall work and weightage of the subjects.
As a part of the initiative, the government has decided to test the new schedule in select schools before implementing it statewide. Two schools from every mandal will follow the extended timings from November 25 to November 30, 2024, as a pilot project. Based on the feedback collected during this period, the government will decide whether to make the new timings permanent.
Why the Change in Timings?
The decision to extend school hours has been informed by the recent proposals, which were set by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT). SCERT believes that increasing the length of a period will provide teachers with adequate time to teach and facilitate more effective and efficient delivery of the set syllabus.
The Education Department REITERATED THAT even though the periods lengthened, the workload and the weightage of subjects did not change. They believe this will bring positive changes such that school-going kids will spend ample time on core issues rather than attending classes.
Pilot Project Details
It will be implemented pilot selectively beginning early in 2024 newly introduced school timings will be tried in 1 or 2 High schools per mandal during the period 25th November to 30th November 2024. As for the pilot project, the selection of schools has been given to the Deputy Educational Officers (DEOs). They have to define a list of schools to participate and send it by NOVEMBER 20 2024.
To ensure successful the effective implementation of the new schedule the DEOs will make communication to the respective headmasters of the identified schools. At the pilot level, feedback will be gathered from teachers students, and parents regarding the effectiveness of change in timings. The feedback will be provided to the DSE before the end of November 2024.
The objective of the New Timetable
It is important about this effort to understand that its main purpose is to enhance the quality of such academic processes as education by offering teachers more time to elaborate on particular material or subject, as well as to facilitate meaningful interactions with their students.
The government considers that this will not only benefit students to grasp what they are learning but also will ease the burden on the teachers to cover the syllabuses as fast as possible. Although the proposed daily schedule extends the number of hours learners and teachers spend in school, the tasks are not changed. There is only one focus, and that is to improve the teaching process and make sure students reap the fruits of the teaching process.
Next Steps After the Pilot Project
After the pilot project is complete on 30th November 2024, the Education Department will collate the feedback received from the participating schools. This feedback will be instrumental in deciding whether the envisaged extended school hours will be implemented for high schools across Andhra Pradesh. If the pilot is successful, the new timetable could be rolled out statewide in the current academic year, 2024-2025. But the government stated that any consequent steps will be made with due regard to all the parties involved like teachers, students, and parents.
Instructions for Schools and Authorities
To ensure smooth implementation, the government has issued the following instructions:
Selection of Schools: DEOs must identify one or two high schools in each mandal for the pilot project.
Timely Submission: The list of selected schools must be submitted by November 20, 2024.
Communication with Schools: Headmasters of the identified schools should be informed about the new timings and the pilot project’s objectives.
Feedback Collection: DEOs must ensure that feedback from teachers, students, and parents is collected during the pilot period and submitted to the DSE by November 30, 2024.
Conclusion
The state government of Andhra Pradesh recently increased school hours to enable improvement in the quality of education that students, teachers, and other learners receive. However, the pilot project will be piloted in some schools although the programme could be hiked across the state depending on the pilot project outcome.
The government urges students, parents, and teachers to be cooperative during the pilot phase and should provide their feedback for the parliament to make better decisions. This idea gives a hint of the government’s effort in trying to enhance the quality of the education delivered in classrooms and the challenges encountered therein.
