Jio TV, Sahyadri channel for online classes

The state government plans to use Jio TV and Sahyadri channel to impart online lectures to students from Class 1 to 12 amid the pandemic. The online teaching will

The state government plans to use Jio TV and Sahyadri channel to impart online lectures to students from Class 1 to 12 amid the pandemic. The online teaching will begin in all state schools, aided as well as unaided, from the first week of July, using television channels, radio and other online platforms, including Google Meet, the state education department said in a meeting chaired by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday.

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Thackeray reviewed the status of online teaching and asked the department to begin these modules soon and ensure hassle-free connectivity. He was given a presentation on classes conducted using Google Meet. He has directed to take all the stakeholders into confidence before rolling out online education. This would be in addition to opening of the schools from July 1 for Classes 9, 10 and 12 in remote areas where the spread of Covid-19 is less. CM Thackeray directed the department to check the compatibility of online teaching on all electronic platforms. “The platforms should be technically foolproof with capability to resolve technical glitches immediately,” he said.

“We will finalise the telecast of recorded lectures through these channels in the next four-five days. Sahyadri is charging us ₹5,000 an hour with an offer of free hours equal to the number of paid ones. Jio has dedicated two separate channels for Class 10 and 12 and has a provision of five separate channels for students from Class 1 to 12. Similarly, radio channels, too, are being engaged for online lectures, besides the use of Google Meet platform, where 250 students can join at a time,” said an official from the school education department.

Shakuntala Kale, chairman, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said the HSC and SSC results will be announced by mid-July and end of July, respectively.

At least 54% of Maharashtra households have smart phones required to conduct online classes, while 80% have television sets and 10% have radio sets. “We are covering almost all households with one or medium or the other, covering all 1.08 lakh schools in the state. The schools that are opening from July 1 are mostly private schools, including aided ones. Most of the areas with low Internet connectivity or no television are areas with minimum spread of the virus and the schools can open there,” the official said.

The department told the CM that the Maharashtra State Council of Education Training and Research has started training teachers to conduct the classes online, at its Pune studios.