Parents from across the state took to Twitter and posted tweets using #righttolearn to urge the Maharashtra government to allow regulated online learning for students up to Class 2. According to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) released by the state, online learning is banned up to Class 2.
“As a parent, as a teacher, I want my children to have the right to learn. Let the children open the wings of their knowledge and let this pandemic not stop them from learning.
I support online classes,” read a tweet by one of the parents in Mumbai.
Parents of students from Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh also joined the Twitter storm to protest against the decision to ban online classes up to Class 5 by their respective state governments. Several parent bodies from across these states participated in the campaign and tweeted on Sunday afternoon.
On June 17, the Members of the International Schools Association (MISA) wrote to state education minister Varsha Gaikwad, recommending two 30-minute sessions for pre-school students everyday, with adequate breaks in between. “The joy and benefits of online education should not be taken away from students,” the association stated in the letter.
“In families where both parents work, children need some learning stimulus and social interaction with their peers for some time, for their psychological and physical well-being. For this, we are hoping that a few minutes of interaction are allowed by the state,” said Pradnya Shinde, a parent from Malad.
{{/usCountry}}“In families where both parents work, children need some learning stimulus and social interaction with their peers for some time, for their psychological and physical well-being. For this, we are hoping that a few minutes of interaction are allowed by the state,” said Pradnya Shinde, a parent from Malad.
{{/usCountry}}Some parents, however, were of the opinion that attending online classes will be extremely stressful for students.
“Beyond the dangers of screen time for students, online classes will also cause stress for parents, as children as young as three and four years can’t sit alone for classes and need constant hand holding. For a couple of months, schools can trust parents with their children instead of bombarding them with instruction-based learning,” said a parent from Dadar.
Officials from the education department in the past said that the decision to not hold online classes for students until Class 2 was taken after several complaints from parents about the ill effects of screen time.