Handbook for Illam Thedi Kalvi coordinators released

CHENNAI: In a bid to improve reading skills under ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ (Education at Doorsteps), the state government has released a comprehensive handbook for coordinators, who teach the students. Under the scheme, the booklets will contain different kinds of stories that are different from the regular classroom subjects.

‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’, launched in October 2021, has been the country’s first and single largest post-pandemic educational outreach programme.

It is being steered by a massive 1.81 lakh volunteer base with the core objective of bridging learning gaps due to lack of access to structured education during the pandemic among students from Classes 1-8 and even helping those children who dropped out of school during that time.

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that the ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ has entered the third phase for more than 30 lakh students.

“During this phase, the coordinators will make the children read well,” he said adding “each booklet, which will be distributed, will contain a total of 20 stories, which are specifically formulated so that students will be interested in participating.”

Pointing out that it was also decided to continue ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ even during the summer holidays for the interested students, the official said that the third phase would start from June 1.

“In addition to the booklets, posters will also be distributed to the coordinators for creating awareness among the parents to send their children to participate in the third phase of the education scheme”, he said.

Pointing out that the school management committee, which monitors the ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ programme, the official said, “they would also assess the outcome of the third phase of the scheme”.

He said the officials from district education department will also visit the ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ classes and interact with the children to get their feedback with regard to the reading classes.

“The coordinators were instructed that all their respective students should improve their reading skills during this third phase,”, he added.

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