Baseline survey to study learning outcomes to be held under Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme

It will be carried out by volunteers working with students of Classes I to VIII

To study learning outcomes as part of the Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme, a baseline survey is being carried out by volunteers who are involved in working with students of Classes I to VIII across centres in Tamil Nadu.

Illam Thedi Kalvi was launched last year by the Tamil Nadu government in a first-of-its kind initiative to address learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the volunteer-led initiative, students of Classes I to VIII are attending activity-based, interactive classes structured around their syllabus in centres opened in their localities after school hours.

At present, there are around 33 lakh students who are attending these sessions in 1.81 lakh centres across Tamil Nadu.

“The survey, which volunteers will administer through the Illam Thedi Kalvi app, has been structured based on learning outcomes and micro-competencies drawn up by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT). There will be short questions, multiple options and pictorial questions as well, as a part of the baseline survey,” said K. Elambahavath, Officer on Special Duty, Illam Thedi Kalvi.

“Through the findings of the baseline survey, we intend to identify learning gaps and address those areas through remedial education. It is a unique exercise, and is expected to give us an idea of what learning level the student is at,” he said about the massive exercise.

While the SCERT has mapped around 2,000 learning outcomes and related competencies, around 200 critical competencies are being taken into consideration and survey has been structured on it.

For Classes I to III, the survey will be based on Tamil, English, Mathematics, while Classes IV and V will also have Science as one of the subjects. The survey for Classes VI to VIII will include social science.