Union HRD Minister launches ‘NISHTHA’ to build capacities of 42 lakh Govt.Teachers

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on August 21, 2019, launched the National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level- NISHTHA, National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement, at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi . During the programme, NISHTHA Website, Training Modules, Primer Booklet, and a Mobile App were also launched by the Minister.

Speaking on the occasion, the HRD Minister said that this is the  largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world. Giving further details, the Minister said that the basic objective of this massive training programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. He said that teachers will develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities, Inclusive Education, ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence, Health and well-being including yoga, Initiatives in School Education including library, eco club, youth club, kitchen garden, School Leadership qualities, Environmental Concerns, Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner.

The teachers are the powerhouse of the nation and they must be of the highest quality, the Minister said. He further said that it is the Prime Minister’s dream that the quality of our teachers should be such that they should command worldwide respect.  Pokhriyal disclosed  that this training programme has been included as one of the two transformative ideas from this Department for the 100 days programme of the Government.

This integrated programme aims to build the capacities of around 42 lakh participants covering all teachers and Heads of Schools at the elementary level in all Government schools, faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) as well as Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and UTs, he said, according to a PIB release.

Pokhriyal highlighted that the initiative is first of its kind wherein standardised training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs. However, States and UTs can contextualise the training modules and use their own material and resource persons also keeping in view the core topics and expected outcomes of NISHTHA.

The Minister informed that the training will be conducted directly by 33,120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who will in turn be trained by 120 National Resource Persons identified from National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and Non-Government Organisations.

In order to ensure sustainable impact on classroom transactions, this integrated training programme is embedded with post training interventions including provision of mentoring.