NFC’s SKV teacher among 98 scoops Delhi Govt award
Teachers are one of the biggest contributors towards nation-building and they impact thousands of lives through their work, said Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia at the State Teachers Award ceremony at the Delhi Secretariat.
Ninety-eight teachers and school principals were honoured for their invaluable contribution in school education.
Of all the teachers and school principals who were honoured, 63 were females and 35 were males. There were 69 from Delhi Government schools, 18 from private schools and 11 from Municipal Corporations of Delhi schools.
The awardees comprised of special educators, arts and music teachers, librarians, Mentor Teachers, sports teachers, and vocational teachers. In addition to that, Delhi Government has also awarded 11 teachers and officers for their exemplary commitment in executing semi online teaching learning activities and COVID relief work. Continuing the tradition from previous years, two special awards were given to teachers doing exemplary work, based on the observations of Sisodia during his school visits.
Among the list of erudite teachers and principals, honoured for their excellent show of grit, were Ajay Choudhary, PGT (chemistry) at RPVV Civil Lines and Ashoshika Bharodia PGT (Political Science) at SKV Pocket-4, Mayur Vihar. Their pathbreaking stories were recognised by all in the education fraternity.
Ajay Chaudhary of RPVV Civil Lines showed zeal as he responded to queries of 12th grade students who would text him at 1:30 am in the night to solve complex question. Chaudhary helped his students qualify for prestigious exams of JEE and NEET.
These are illustrations of his hardwork towards his students. Drawing a parallel is Ashoshika Bharodia, a teacher of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Pocket 4, Mayur Vihar Phase 1, who reached out to her students in the challenging times of COVID-19 and organised sessions for students at their Jhuggis in Chilla Khadar. Her relentless show of dedication to perform a teacher’s duty is extraordinary.
Another powerful story is of Parvinder Kumar, In-charge of Core Academic Unit. During the pandemic, he along with his teammates created thousands of worksheets and conducted live classes for students to ensure that students keep learning.
His persistence and hard work have been exemplary. Indira Sagar of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, New Friends Colony has done commendable work in environment conservation like rain water harvesting, reuse of biodegradable waste, etc.
They were felicitated by Sisodia, in presence of Udit Prakash, Director Education, Shailendra Sharma, Education Advisor and other senior officials of Education Department.
“We are here exactly a year after the complete lockdown was imposed for the first time in our country. Our education system was badly hit by the pandemic as school closures left everyone clueless about the teaching-learning during the COVID times. But, our teachers and school principals really stepped up to the occasion and showed unparalleled grit and determination in responding to this situation. They ensured that ‘learning never stops’ by reaching out to their students through innovative means. Teachers who did not know how to use a smartphone equipped themselves with the knowledge of how to use it. Teachers went above and beyond to ensure that children were learning daily. Their efforts are really praiseworthy”, said Sisodia.
Imploring teachers to rethink strategies on assessment and learning, Sisodia said: “We need to build correct approaches and develop 360 degree assessments for our students. The premise of rote-learning evaluated through an end of year 3-hour exam is an injustice to our students and teachers. The challenge is to eliminate rote-learning practices and this is why we are at the juncture of establishing the Delhi Education Board.
“Our Delhi Education Board will develop continuous and comprehensive assessments augmenting a holistic learner profile of students and enabling teachers to refine their instruction.”
“Our diverse approaches in education have not been limited to building strong school infrastructure and ensuring good pass percentages. Our modus operandi is to bring in curricular changes and we have done that by introducing Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum, Happiness Curriculum and now, Deshbhakti Curriculum. For digital learning, we are in the process of establishing the first ever Delhi Virtual School with the idea of anywhere living, anytime learning and anytime testing. Our model of education has not been a model of leadership, it is a collective model of education. Our efforts are only possible with the support of our teachers.”
“Teachers are the pillars of our education model. They have transcended the boundaries of learning and done splendid work, especially in these unprecedented times,” said Director of Education Udit Prakash.
