No access to devices, many Delhi EWS students in a fix over online tests

Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) last week had directed all private schools to provide access to online classes and e-learning material to EWS students enrolled with them.

For over a month, Malkeet Singh, a resident of Tilak Nagar, has been trying to arrange a device that would help his two kids attend online classes that are being conducted by their schools during the Covid-19 lockdown. Singh’s daughter (7) and son (11) have not attended a single online class as of Monday.

Many parents whose children are enrolled in private schools across the city under the EWS quota have found themselves in a tough spot ever since the lockdown came into force. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Singh, a contractual driver with a private firm, has had no work since Prime Minister Narendra Modi put in place a countrywide lockdown on March 25 to check the spread of Covid-19. His children are enrolled in two private schools in Rajouri Gardens and Paschim Vihar — in Class 2 and Class 6 respectively — under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota. “We don’t have a smartphone at home. I did not even know that a smartphone will become so important for us during the lockdown. I’ve not earned a single penny since March and that’s why could not arrange a phone for my kids. Now my daughter’s school has sent a message stating that they will hold online unit tests from Wednesday. I don’t know what to do? I’m afraid my daughter’s performance will suffer,” he said.

Many parents whose children are enrolled in private schools across the city under the EWS quota have found themselves in a tough spot ever since the lockdown came into force. While some, like Singh, don’t have the means to help their children attend online classes, others have fallen back on the help of their neighbours or relatives to arrange such devices.

Several private schools in Delhi have announced that they will hold online unit tests, adding to the woes of such parents and students.

“It’s even more difficult for parents like us who have never been to a school. We can’t even make our kids study from books. How will she take the tests without attending classes,” Singh said.

A Class 8 student enrolled in a private school in South Delhi under the EWS quota said that his unit tests are also slated to start from Thursday. “I use my neighbour’s smartphone to listen to the recorded classes every alternate day. It feels embarrassing to ask for help daily. Now the school is saying they will take the unit test in the form of Multiple Choice Questions. I don’t know how will I manage to take the tests,” said the 15-year-old, whose father, a daily wage labourer, has been jobless due to the lockdown.

Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) last week had directed all private schools to provide access to online classes and e-learning material to EWS students enrolled with them. However, several schools said that despite providing access, some of their students are not being able to attend online classes.

Alka Kapur, principal of Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh, said that some of their EWS students are not being able to attend classes despite them provided with links and invites. “We are calling them constantly and requesting their families to approach us for help. Many parents are not willing to come up. Some students are stuck in their native villages because of the lockdown. It won’t be possible for them to take the tests. We will decide the next step for them soon ,” she said.

DoE director Binay Bhushan said that schools will have to take the responsibility and help EWS students by all available means amid the lockdown. “They should come up with ideas to take online unit tests of EWS students, who are facing logistical challenges,” he said.

Schools say they have no choice but to re-conduct exams for those who are not able to appear for the tests now. “We will access the attendance in these tests post lockdown and re-conduct it for those who could not appear due to logistical challenges,” said Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu School in Rohini.

An NGO Justice for All had last week filed a petition in the Delhi High Court demanding free devices for EWS students amid the lockdown. “The court has asked us to submit a list of such students in Delhi private schools. We will submit it by tomorrow (Tuesday),” said advocate Shikha Bagga.

Meanwhile, some private schools are helping their EWS students with logistics. For instance, Springdales School in Pusa Road has provided smartphones to some of their EWS students. “Most of these children and their parents did not know how to download apps and create email ids. Some of our faculty members, who had extra phones at home, have handed them over to students in need. Almost all our students have devices now,” said Jasmeet Chandok, head of the social work department at the school.