Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Aug 30: Dakshina Kannada (DK) district ranked second in the SSLC examination for the 2023-24 academic year. The education department aims to secure the top spot in the 2024-25 academic year and has identified 4,742 students as slow learners.

According to statistics from the school education and literacy department, there are 525 high schools in the district with 28,612 students enrolled in SSLC for the 2024-25 academic year. Among these, 4,742 are identified as slow learners, with most concentrated in the Bantwal and Mangaluru South zones.

The education department, in collaboration with the Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat, has launched 10 different programmes to support slow-learning students. These programmes will be implemented by the end of the academic year in February 2025, as per information provided by DDPI Venkatesha Subraya Patagara.

School teachers will adopt slow-learning children and provide them with special guidance throughout the academic year. Another key initiative is to increase their attendance rate, as slow learners often tend to be absent from classes. The teachers who adopt these students will ensure regular attendance, contacting parents if necessary.

Additionally, special classes tailored to slow-learning students have already begun, with schools offering one-hour sessions where subject teachers provide focused attention. Other initiatives include the use of e-learning tools, training for teachers in every subject by resource persons, and continuous supervision of educational reforms. Officials regularly visit high schools to monitor the progress of slow learners and provide guidance to teachers. Workshops are also held for slow-learning students to help them face examinations without fear and to boost their self-confidence, with support from counsellors and doctors.