VADODARA, Nov 2: Tell the class a story. Multiply or divide numbers of upto three digits. Write out a lesson from a textbook as someone reads it out. These are some of the state government-set minimum level of learning (MLL) requirements for third standard students.Chances are that if the students are from a Vadodara Municipal Corporation school, they won't be comfortable doing those tasks. And onto them the state government proposes to heave the discomfort of computer education.Says Prof Prerna Mohite, who surveyed learning levels in municipal school students, ``You can't think of introducing computers for these students.''Mohite and Deval Desai, her student at M.S. University's department of human development and family studies, feel that without learning certain basic words it would be difficult for students to learn computers.As per MLL rules, children between Std I-Std VI should be able to able to write dictation of vowels, write simple sentences, and answer questions on who, when and where. Children should also be able to participate in discussions on classroom matters.Desai said that these students would first have to get familiar with visuals and text before they can associate themselves with computer learning.She said, ``If one asks these students to recite familiar poems then most of them are unable to do so.''The reasons for this kind of performance are many, she added. The children are made to sit in classrooms which are unattractive. If the safai workers do not come over for a number of days, students have to continue sitting in these dirty surroundings, she said.She added that during the survey they had taken a round of these schools in working hours, and it was noticed that there were no interactive sessions, children just parrot lessons after their teachers, who do not ask questions - or invite them.``To prevent such monotonous teaching, we have taken up a project with these schools,'' said Desai. The centre has tried to bridge the gap between Balwadi learning and classroom learning. ``At the balwadis students are habituated to the joyful kind of learning, then all of a sudden they have to stick to classrooms and books. Dividing the time between joyful activities and learning attracts more children,'' said Desai.
