E-Paper
Curfew: Online classes a distant dream for Chandigarh govt schools
Private school students with access to technology already learning online
With many government school students in Chandigarh without any access to WhatsApp or even smartphones, the schoolteachers are finding it difficult to kickstart online classes for the new academic session. Many teachers said that they are not even able to inform the students of online classes due to the lack of digital means.
Following the directions of UT administrator VP Singh Badnore last week, district education officer Alka Mehta had asked 53 government high schools, and 40 government senior secondary schools to initiate online classes impacting over 50,000 students of Classes 9 to 12.
A teacher at the Government Model High School (GMHS), Maloya, said, “I spent my entire day to track the students through their phone numbers that they had provided. Most of them don’t work now. Some students have given numbers of their neighbours and relatives.”
“Some students who have access to smartphones said they don’t have internet data packs. Moreover, many parents and children don’t know how to operate mobile applications like Zoom on which the online classes can be held,” she added.
On the other hand, many private schools in the city have already started online classes as students belonging to good socio-economic conditions have access to laptops and internet connection. However, despite attendance not being mandatory in private schools, connectivity remains an issue for the online classes.
Chandigarh director school education Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “It is just the beginning of the session. Our first priority is safety and health of children. We will supplement the classes with the availability of textbooks. We will soon start the distribution of free textbooks to students of our schools.”
Brar said the department was simultaneously making optimum use of limited resources and technological handicaps amid curfew.
Sources said the education department is in talks with private school principals for pointers on starting online classes.
‘INCENTIVISE’
Experts believe that the government can provide connectivity to the students to incentivise online education. Punjab Engineering College (PEC) director Dheeraj Sanghi, an expert in computer science, said, “The government can provide data pack vouchers worth ₹300-400 to the students to enhance connectivity. Moreover, the students can also be provided smartphones that are available on rates under ₹5,000. Even the government can procure subsided smartphones in bulk. This will incentivise education for students in the long run as well.”
