Thane Municipal Corporation partners with EdIndia to digitally skill 8000 teachers

Mumbai: Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has partnered with EdIndia Foundation, to bolster the capacity of its 8000 teachers spread across 850 odd schools across the district. As an initial scheme of the partnership, Thane Municipal Corporation and EdIndia Foundation hosted a 2-day Online Teacher Training, for 8000 teachers to help them adapt to the new technology-driven teaching model in the post-COVID19 scenario. 
As the COVID-19 pandemic advances, with no sight of an immediate solution to stop the spread, there is uncertainty on when the schools will reopen. This not only disrupts the continuity of learning for the 250 million children in India but also endangers their psychosocial and mental wellbeing. TMC invited experts in the 2-day Online Teacher Training programme to sensitise teachers around concerns such as mental health and child protection. The online training which will be streamed live on Youtube and Pragyan app will also prepare teachers to adopt different technology tools and platforms in their transition to online schooling for continuity of learnings.
Acknowledging that teachers require support, Mr. Manish Joshi, Deputy Commissioner Thane Municipal Corporation, said “The pandemic has forced us into remote learning which has technical, pedagogical and instructional challenges. I am glad that we could forge a partnership with EdIndia. With their expertise, we can now strengthen teachers' capacity on technology and better classroom delivery. The whole event is the brainchild of Mr. Rajesh Kankal Education officer of Thane Municipal corporation who felt that to conduct classes, keep students engaged and continue teaching in an effective way, a re-orientation on online pedagogies and tools is required”.
Sonakshi Agarwal, CEO of EdIndia Foundation, while appreciating the opportunity to aid this cause, said. “We are in a precarious situation due to the pandemic, and it is imperative that we all stakeholders come together, work side by side on all our children’s education, protection and well-being. The training will capacitate teachers to embrace technology, nurture child well-being and prepare for post-COVID-19 challenges and innovations”.