Make learning fun: MCD

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schoolteachers have a new task at hand these days - constructing teaching aids - apart from getting down to checking annual examination papers.
A sum of Rs 500 has been given in cash to every teacher by the education department to construct "innovative aids" for making the classroom a more interesting place.
"Having students enrolled in a school is one thing, getting their undivided attention and generating interest in studies is another. The idea is to make learning more wholesome through the use of teaching aids," said director (primary education), MCD, Indira Yadav.
Teachers have complete freedom to design the aid they want. Apart from maps and charts, other possible options include flash cards for alphabets and playing counters.
According to officials, the concept has come from central government''s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and was passed on to Delhi government''s Universalisation of Elementary Education Mission (UEEM).
Since MCD schools deal with primary education directly, the task of implementation has been handed over to the corporation. Along with teachers, Rs 5,000 have been allotted to each headmaster to undertake immediate infrastructure development or repairs.
"Headmasters can use the money to immediately replace a defunct tubelight, fix a broken tap, or buy much-needed furniture," said one official.
Both principals and headmasters have exactly nine days to work out how they plan to utilise the money given to them.
The department is yet to collect proof of the work accomplished (receipts of materials purchased) on March 31.
While MCD''s plan may sound positive, teachers seem to find the task an additional burden.
"Exams have just finished. We can either check papers or make teaching aids. There''s hardly any time," said one teacher.