Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar has announced that the state government is planning to change the school timings from the academic year 2024, to ensure that students get adequate sleep and rest. The minister said that the current school timings are not suitable for the changed sleeping patterns of the students, who often stay awake till late at night and have to wake up early in the morning.
The minister said that the proposal is in its initial stages and he will consult with the teachers’ associations, parents’ associations, and experts to finalize the new school timings. He said that the new timings will be based on the scientific research and evidence on the importance of sleep for the physical and mental health of the students.
The minister also said that the state government is working on various initiatives to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in the schools. He said that the state government will introduce e-books, audio books, and video books to reduce the burden of textbooks and notebooks on the students. He also said that the state government will launch ‘Celebrity Schools’, which will provide professional education in extra-curricular activities such as music, drama, elocution, etc. along with the conventional curriculum.
The minister also said that the state government will conduct remedial coaching in the schools to help the students who have lost their learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He also said that the state government will ensure the admission of every child in the school, and will launch various schemes to upgrade the infrastructure facilities and increase the student participation in the schools.
The minister made these announcements while inaugurating the ‘Pahile Paul’ campaign, which is a school preparedness campaign for the new academic year. The campaign will be conducted across over 65,000 schools and will reach over 15 lakh students across the state. The campaign will focus on the themes of cleanliness, health, safety, and environment in the schools.
