File No.
Government of India
Ministry of Human Resource Development
(Department of School Education and Literacy)
Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan
In pursuance of the focus on connecting school based knowledge to life outside the school and making learning of Science Mathematics a joyful and meaningful activity, to bring focus on innovation and use of technology, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has set up the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA)- a convergent framework that aims at nurturing a spirit of inquiry and creativity, love for Science and Mathematics and effective use of technology amongst children and encourage those who show an inclination and talent for these subjects to be encouraged and supported to heights of academic excellence and research.
Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan will target students in the age group of 6 - 18 years and in turn the execution of RAA will span across MHRD’s schematic interventions of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan in the Department of School Education & Literacy and programmes and schemes of Department of Higher Education to encourage Science, Mathematics & Technology.
Background to RAA
Science, Technology and Innovation have emerged as the major drivers of national development globally. India, with its near universalisation of access in school education and expanding Higher Education and Scientific institutions both under the government and private sectors, wants to give a direction to drive future innovations by encouraging children in exploration, discovery and innovation to support a climate of innovation by teachers and students at school level.
The Kothari Commission (1964) noted that the destiny of this country is shaped in the classrooms and laboratories of schools, colleges and universities. India’s Curriculum Framework recognises connecting knowledge to life outside the school and notes that learning takes place both within school and outside school and seeks to design learning tasks beyond textbooks and schools.
The Yashpal Committee report (1993) Learning without Burden expressed concern over the esotericisation of Science also on the tendency embedded in the syllabi and textbooks to accelerate children's mathematical skills by teaching mechanical rules at the expense of understanding.
Aim
While emphasising the primacy of the schools and classroom transactions, the RAA aims to leverage the potential for science, mathematics and technology learning in non-classroom settings. Beyond the four walls of a classroom, opportunities for science, mathematics and technology learning abound.
Accordingly, the ‘Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA)” is planned to provide nourishing and nurturing support to and a platform for schools in a dual track approach to make Science, Mathematics and Technology exciting to children and encourage them to have an enduring interest both inside classroom and outside classroom activities.
Objectives
To enable children to become motivated and engaged in Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) through observation, experimentation, inference drawing, model building, rational reasoning, testability etc.
To create curiosity, excitement and exploration among school children in Science, Mathematics and Technology. To create a culture of thinking, inventing, tinkering and doing to promote enquiry based learning in Schools.
To achieve learning levels appropriate to the class of study in Science and Mathematics.
To encourage and nurture schools to be incubators of Innovation.
Target Age group, Classes and Schools
(I) Systemic improvements in the School System
Teacher Preparation for Science, Mathematics and Technology: Pre-Service and InService
Assessment design for Science and Mathematics for students
Recruitment of Science and Mathematics Teachers.
Strengthening School Science Laboratories and Mathematics Laboratories
Provision of teaching-learning equipments and supplementary books/materials to enhance Science and Mathematics transaction in classrooms.
Use of Technology in Science and Mathematics teaching
Development of resource materials
Strengthening teacher support institutions and in the use of technology
Effective classroom transaction : teaching – learning.
(II) Initiatives to encourage Science, Mathematics through alternative strategies
School Mentoring for Science & Mathematics teaching by Higher Education Institutions.
Teacher Circles on Science, Mathematics and Technology
Science/Mathematics Clubs for Children
Expand outreach of programmes of Ministry of Science and Technology to promote science learning.
Participation of Students in Inter-school, State/National Maths and Science Competitions/ Olympiads etc.
Organised visits to Science Museums and Science fairs and Mathematics Melas.
Parents and community sensitisation.
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