Zero period to be introduced in select schools of Ganjam district

Berhampur (Odisha): In a bid to promote creativity and logical thinking among children, the Ganjam district administration in Odisha has decided to introduce a zero period in select schools once a week. Children will be allowed to do activities of their choice in the zero period under the supervision of a teacher, an official said. In the first phase, the zero period is being introduced in select schools.

It will be extended to other schools depending on the response it gets. "In the first phase, the zero period is being started in 350 out of the 4,000-odd schools in Ganjam," District Education Officer (DEO) Sanatan Panda said. The zero period will be for at least an hour.

"There will not be any teaching or learning from text books during this period," District Collector Prem Chandra Chaudhury has told all principals and block education officers while explaining the concept in a letter. The children will be allowed to observe, analyse and form their own opinion on different topics. It was likely to enhance the intelligence, thinking power, confidence and personality of the children, he said.

Necessary materials to conduct the activities during the period should be provided by the school using the school improvement grants under the Sarba Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamika Sikshya Abhiyan (RMSA). The headmasters will be asked to submit their feed back on the response of the students before extending the period to all other schools in the district, the DEO said.

 In many cases, the talent of a child fails to bloom due to lack of scope both at home and school. "Passing an examination or securing good marks is not the only indicator of a child's potential," the Collector said.