Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has issued guidelines for schools falling under its jurisdiction in order to take reformative measures under National Education Policy 2020. The Board stated that there shall be no homework for upto class 2nd and no school bags for nursery and UKG.
According to a circular, the Waqf Board has issued the instructions for daily, monthly and annual timetable and schedule of activities to be undertaken by the schools.
As per the circular daily timetable shall have 6 periods (time slots) of 30 minutes each for teaching subjects. “05 periods for compulsory subjects, like English, Maths, Science, Social Science and Urdu and 6th period to be utilized for teaching of optional subjects, like Computers, Kashmiri, Arabic, Islamiyat, Sufi Saints Literature; on rotational basis.”
It reads schools should have compulsorily one hour reserved every day for Extra-curricular Activities, that shall be split into two parts of 30 minutes each in the first and second half of the day.
It reads house system to be established in every school for intra-school co-curricular and sports Competitions.
“To inculcate a sense of belongingness & healthy competition among students, all the school heads are instructed to divide the students into four houses: senior boys, senior girls, junior Boys and junior Girls, on the names of following famous Sufi Saints Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (R.A), Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (R.A), Hazrat Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom (R.A) and Hazrat Shah-e-Hamadan(R.A)
It added sports calendar for the year shall include competitions in sports activities. “Similarly, competitions shall also be held round the year in co-curricular activities. Three days in a month shall be reserved completely for sports & co-curricular competitions. No Academic activities shall be carried out on those days.”
It reads school authorities shall allocate at least one period of thirty minutes per month for the House Meetings, so that the House Committee Members can interact, motivate and plan the house activities under guidance of respective House Masters.
“In the month of September and October, Inter Waqf School Competitions shall be carried-out and the winners shall be rewarded. Morning Assembly, after brief Prayers, shall consists of News Headlines, Thought for the day/A brief Talent show of individual or a group of students/ Amazing facts/Personality of the Day/Volunteer for a Minute & similar other exciting stuff. Lectures by teachers during Morning Assembly shall be avoided.”
It also reads there shall be no school bag for classes nursery to UKG and no homework for classes from nursery to 2nd. “School Bag Policy & NEP-2020 guidelines in this regard shall be followed strictly. Orientation Programme for School Heads regarding the execution of proposed changes shall be held separately,” it added.