Activities of SCERT in West Bengal & Its Status

1. National Population Education Project (NPEP)

SCERT (WB) has been implementing the National Population Education Project activities of NCERT since 1984 in West Bengal. Different activities that have been conducted under this project are listed below.

     i) Organisation of Role Play and Folk Dance Competition

The following activities were carried out-

        a) Organisation of District Level Role Play Competition

        b) Organisation of District Level Folk Dance Competition

        c) Organization of State Level Role Play and Folk Dance Competition

 The selected First positioned team at the State level Role Play Competition was: Haldia    Punarbasan Vidyaniketan (H.S.), P.O- Durgachak ,Dist- Purba Mednipur,PIN- 721602

The selected First positioned team at the State level Folk Dance Competition was: Mathabhanga Girls’ High School, P.O- Mathabhanga, Dist- Coochbehar, PIN  – 736146

        d) Participation in the Regional as well as National Level Role Play and Folk Dance Competition 

The teams securing first position at the state level  participated in the Regional as well as National level Role Play  & Folk Dance Competition which was held at NCERT, New Delhi  during 03-06 December, 2019.

Haldia Punarbasan Vidyaniketan (H.S.), of Purba Mednipur, has been selected from the regional level to participate in the National level Role Play Competition.

    ii) Research & Evaluation:

SCERT (WB) has taken up the following research activitiy under NPEP-

 A study titled “Issues and Concerns related to School adolescents in Jhargram district of West Bengal”

Separate opinionnaire has been  developed for –Student , Head of the Institution, Teacher and Parent . The tools will be administered to secondary level selected schools in Jhargram district of West Bengal. Data will be collected , analyzed and the report will be published.

2. Induction training on Action Research for newly recruited DIET faculty members (Professional development of DIET faculty)

Fund Source: CSSTE Project Fund.

Action Research is simply “learning by doing” in which a practitioner or a group of practitioners identify a problem, do something to resolve it, see how successful their efforts were, and if not satisfied try again. The thrust of the entire activity lays on initiating and encouraging such practices among teachers and teacher educators alike that promote active engagement with the process through evidence based, target-specific interventions, supported by a sustained culture of conducting action research by the practitioners. Toward this end a programme was undertaken by SCERT (WB) to impart induction training on Action Research for newly recruited DIET faculty members in our state for their professional development.

Under this induction training programme at first a two-day meeting was held at SCERT (WB) on 23-24 April, 2019 with resource persons and designated speakers for the oncoming training, to review an existing module on Action Research, prepared by SCERT (WB), and to draft a list of speakers for the programme. Upon finalizing the material for imparting the programme was held on 3-5 July, 2019 at SCERT (WB) with the support of six Resource Persons, training thirty (30) newly recruited faculty members from DIETs in West Bengal. The participants were trained on different facets of conducting Action research, with the future task of individually conducting Action Research on any chosen – and approved – topic being assigned to them within a specified time frame.

In its next phase this programme aims at conducting another meet of the participants, speakers and resource persons for submission of the action research reports, as carried out by the participants for the review of the house. Finally those reports, that qualify will be selected for a future compilation of the same.

3. Preparation of a Science Manual for Students of Secondary Stage Under WBBSE Curriculum Activity Corner / Laboratory

Fund Source:  School Education Dept, GoWB.

 In the backdrop of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education having published activity-based science text books for upper primary level, and Science text books having being developed by private authors on the basis of the prescribed syllabus for the students of the secondary classes, it has been a felt need that most of the schools in our state don’t have separate science laboratory for these students in upper primary and secondary stages. Therefore, a Science manual for secondary stage students under WBBSE curriculum along with the provision of setting up of activity corner/laboratory in the eighteen DIETs of West Bengal and SCERT has become imperative. This manual is aimed at including simple activities and experiments which can be easily performed by the students themselves. This effort envisions a promotion in the culture of scientific and creative thinking among the secondary level students and also to help in the development of their psychomotor skills that will entail learning by doing. The following are the objectives of the project:

1. To prepare a Science manual for secondary stage of WBBSE curriculum for the use by DIET trainees, Teachers and Teacher Educators and the secondary level students.
2. To set up a Science Laboratory/ Activity corner each in SCERT (WB) and eighteen DIETs of West Bengal.

This proposed manual will be developed by SCERT (WB) in consultation with science subject experts, practicing teachers etc., in accordance with the curriculum/syllabus for the secondary level as prescribed by the WBBSE. The Science manual so developed – and the items with appropriate furnishing – for carrying out the listed science activities/experiments will be provided to all the DIETs. The DIETs will be advised to set up a Science Laboratory/ activity corner in its premise where students can perform the activities/ experiments in order to enhance their understanding of the subject.

The proposal on the said project has been sent to the School Education Department on 23.10.2019 and necessary administrative and financial approval was been obtained.

4. Conducting Teacher Assessment Test (TAT) for the teachers in Ekalavya Model residential Schools (EMRS) in West Bengal

Fund Source: Tribal Development Department, GoWB.

Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have been flagship interventions of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India to provide quality middle and higher education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas in the country. Toward providing quality education in the EMRS in West Bengal the TDD has entrusted SCERT (WB) with the conduct of an assessment test of all teachers in all the seven (07) EMRS in West Bengal – one each in the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia, Paschim Bardhaman, Jhargram, Dakshin Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri on 01.10.2019 with the express purpose of:

i) assessing the subject knowledge of practising EMRS teachers;

ii) ascertaining the conversance of the EMRS teachers with the teaching techniques and the pedagogic processes required to be followed during classroom engagements;

iii) placing suggestion for improving the quality of pedagogic process followed in the EMRS in West Bengal.

The EMRS in the district of Jhargram has not participated in this activity and a brief report on that has been sent competent authority stating the facts. Out of 122 teachers in the 6 schools, only 38 teachers appeared in the Teacher Assessment Test. The Test contained questions on Pedagogy and subject contents (Bengali, English, History, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology).

The responses from the six EMRS (sans EMRS, Jhargram) were processed and analysed employing suitable statistical technique to ascertain the extent of subject knowledge possessed by the teachers along with their conversance in techniques of teaching a class. The results of the said analysis had been compiled in a report, which was submitted to the Tribal Development Department on 15.11.2019.

5. A Study on the Causes of Dropout among Students at Transition from Elementary to Secondary and in Secondary Levels in Government Sponsored/Aided Schools of West Bengal

Fund Source: School Education Dept, GoWB .

SCERT (WB), at the behest of Department of School Education, Government of West Bengal, has conducted a study for the State of West Bengal on the phenomenon of dropout observed among students at the transition from elementary to secondary (i.e. at the end of class-VIII and beginning of class IX) and at the secondary stage (i.e. at the end of class IX and beginning of class- X) of school education. The study has primarily focused on identifying the probable factors/reasons (viz. social, economic, cultural, household, school etc.) behind dropping out of students from the schools at the identified stages of school education, both in rural and urban areas.

 The study was carried out in survey mode in collaboration with different DIETs of West Bengal. Questionnaires for different target groups were developed by SCERT (WB). The survey was conducted on 164 dropped out children in twenty three (23) revenue districts and one (1) educational district (Siliguri) of West Bengal. The data was collected, tabulated and analyzed. The report is being prepared and will be submitted to the competent authority.

6. Activity Report of DIETs in West Bengal

Fund Source: School Education Dept, GoWB .

 A report has been published on different activity of DIET in West Bengal. This report makes an attempt to enlist the activities taken up by the DIETs in West Bengal during the year 2017-18 and 2018-19. Hope this report would help the DIETs as well as SCERT (WB) to plan for better in the future.

7. The following are to be taken up by SCERT in F.Y 2019-20

I) Under Teacher Education for Strengthening of physical infrastructure and Establishment of new DIETs in the Construction of New DIET Building , the proposal involves “construction of DIETs for newly created district of Paschim Medinipur. Although due to paucity of time actual proposal of the PWD could not be brought out but this needs approval of both administrative and financial. The Department of School Education will release the fund on receipt of the proposal from PWD.

II) Under Teacher Education for Establishment of Special Cells in SCERT (Teacher Education) in Education Technology/Computer, the specific project will be Establishment of Science Cell at SCERT. This is proposed as conveyed in the recently workshop at NCERT.

III) The SCERT and DIETs are also proposing for a research to be carried out titled “Translating In-service Training into the Classroom : A Tracer Study”. The research will be taken up by SCERT and all the 19 DIETs.

IV) Under Teacher Education for Training for In-Service Teacher, Head Teachers and Teacher Educators , the following training proposals have been conceptualised and proposed-

     A) Development of Supplementary Learning Teaching Elements for enhancing quality education from Elementary to Higher Secondary level covering 6000 teachers from Class-I to XII of 24 districts,

     B) Development of Teacher Training Module and State Resource Group for residential School Leadership Management Course for Teachers and Head Teachers at the Elementary Level and will involve 168 SRGs,  96 developers of Teacher training module benefitting   960 Teachers and  960 HTs with School Leadership and Management Course at the elementary level from Class –I to VIII.  

      C) Training of 936 number of Educational Officers and Managers for Stake Based Monitoring and Support,

      D) CPD for the State Resource Group for SLDP covering 96 In-service teacher trainers,

E) Orientation of 1152 Resource Persons and Master Trainers for the Training and Development of supplementary LTEs from Elementary to Higher Secondary Levels

F) CPD on Project Management for the Educational Managers (Head of DIETs) covering 36 personnel,

G) Research Methodology Course in collaboration with NCERT for promotion of culture of research among the DIETs of West Bengal covering 54 personnel,

H) School Leadership Development Programme : This year there will be training of 1500 Head Teachers at the elementary level and 600 Head of the Institutes at the Secondary and Higher Secondary Level through Four Zones or Lead Districts. The 4 LDCs are-

1. DIET, North 24 Parganas
2. DIET, Bankura
3. DIET, Howrah
4. DIET, Uttar Dinajpur

The programme would be of three cycles- First cycle is  4 days Concept Development,  Second Cycle is of 9 days Practicum,  Final Cycle is of 3 days Concept Review.  The First Cycle will be invested in developing various concepts and ideas related to Leadership and the role of the Head of the Institute in steering the school towards centre of excellence.

The Second Cycle is “ Academic Service Learning “ phase. In this phase the trainee Heads of Institutions would be required to implement the learning of the training in his or her actual working set up , in his or her school.

After completion of the training on the 4^th day of the First Cycle, the trainees are given two weeks time (14 days) to work on the Case as identified and partly structured on the 4^th day of training. After 14^th day , the trainees would be given Four (4) days of time to develop the study and complete the dissertation as per format under the mentors specified to the group of trainees. The mentor will be one of the resource person from the district. After 4^th day of the Second Cycle, the trainees will have to submit the dissertation to a specified email address.  This phase would be called pre-submission phase. The pre-submission phase would be of 3 days. After three days of pre-submission, the respective District Team under the leadership of the District Coordinator would sit for the “ Review “ of the pre-submitted case studies/ assignments. The collegium of Resource Persons of the respective district then provide feed back in specified format over mail to each of the trainee participants. On the basis of the review, the trainees will work for  “ Submission”  for seven (7) days. The District Team will then visit the schools of the districts for Five (5 )days of the completion of “Final Submission” phase. The respective  supervision team of mentors would then collect the Hard and soft copies of the dissertation at the School. The Resource Group would have to submit both the copies at the DIETs before one week of the Final Cycle of the training.

4.  The Final Cycle will be of review of the concepts learned in the First Cycle with additional learning. In this cycle, there will be also scope for sharing of practice to develop the CoP ( Community of Practice).

8. Implementation of the Biometric Attendance System at DIETs in West Bengal

Fund Source: State Development Scheme Fund

 SCERT (WB) was taken up a project to implement the Biometric Attendance System for staff of DIETs under SCERT (WB). This project has been successfully completed.

9. Implementation of the infrastructure development of DIET and SCERT (WB)

Fund Source: State Development Scheme Fund

SCERT(WB) has initiated to develop infrastructure of DIET and SCERT(WB) through PWD (Civil and Electrical).In the F.Y 2019-20, SCERT(WB) has sent to the Govt. of different proposals of amount of Rs. 45 crore (approx) for various repair and renovation work for different DIETs and SCERT(WB).In the previous year the SED ,GoWB has approved Rs. 15 crore (approx) for various repair and renovation work for different DIETs and SCERT(WB).

10. Development of a module on Child Protection Policy in Schools

Fund Source:  CSSTE Project Fund

SCERT(WB) took up the programme under CSSTE to develop a module on Child Protection Policy in Schools in English version and  revised the same in Bengali language through series of workshops. The modules has been published and circulated to the DIETs for their use of library.

Fund source: State Development Scheme