Understanding is more important than completing syllabus: Sisodia

NEW DELHI: Speaking at the launch of Case Study on Mission Buniyaad organised by Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia emphasised on the importance of understanding the syllabus and improving the foundational learning skills of students.

"We are wasting the time of our younger generations if we are unable to help them understand the subjects being taught to them. Their parents have entrusted us with the responsibility to teach them, and not to merely finish the syllabus", said Delhi Deputy CM and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday.

He highlighted efforts made by the Education Department of Delhi in improving the foundational learning skills of students by introducing Mission Buniyaad campaign in Delhi government schools in 2018.

"Even today a new teacher told me about the constant pressure of completing the syllabus in a limited time. This hinders with the process of effective teaching. It burdens the teachers and hampers with the learning process in classrooms. Our students have to bear the brunt of all this. This issue formed the basis of Mission Buniyaad and our vision behind it when we launched it last year", the Education Minister said.

Stressing on the looming pressure on teachers to rush through the syllabus, the Education Minister of Delhi added, "The focus in the past, and to an extent even now, has been on finishing the syllabus instead of concentrating on whether the student is being able to understand what is being taught. So this report is for us as policymakers and decision-makers to take corrective actions. We need to ask ourselves, what is the use of getting done with the syllabus if a student did not understand the subjects being taught?"