Udupi: In a bid to retain its status as one of the top-performing districts in the SSLC examinations, the education department has identified around 450–500 slow learners in class 10, and directed schools to provide them with intensive academic support ahead of the mid-term examinations.DDPI Lokesh C said that around 18,000 students are expected to appear for the SSLC examinations this academic year, compared to about 13,400 last year. Udupi recorded a 99.6% pass percentage in the SSLC examinations held earlier this year, after exam 2, with only 57 students yet to clear the examinations.“We have identified the slow learners, and our goal is to ensure they are brought into the mainstream by Sept or before the mid-term examinations. No teacher should have to say after Oct or Nov that a student is still lagging behind. Since the number of slow learners is relatively small, we must achieve this target,” he said.Teachers have been instructed to adopt innovative teaching methods to help these students improve. “Teachers are putting in sincere efforts. I have already visited around 25 schools so far. After the mid-term examinations, our focus will shift to quality improvement and helping students secure the highest marks. We have changed our strategy this year because we do not want students to be content with merely passing the examinations,” Lokesh said.He added that a team of teachers from the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) has been assigned to support the initiative. Each taluk has a designated nodal officer who is also involved in training and mentoring slow learners. Block education officers (BEOs) have also been entrusted with responsibilities under the programme.Meanwhile, in collaboration with DIET principal Ashok Kamath, the DDPI is organising a monthly phone-in programme for students, which will be held once every 15 days from Oct onwards. Through the programme, students can directly interact with education officials, while subject experts will also be available to provide academic guidance, he said.
