Poverty hits kids as schools take learning online

Technological poverty, driven by low incomes in a time of crisis, is pinching the under-privileged now more than ever, especially as private schools have taken their

Technological poverty, driven by low incomes in a time of crisis, is pinching the under-privileged now more than ever, especially as private schools have taken their classes online. Parents of children, who got admission to private schools under the RTE Act, said they were unable to get assignments or help their children attend classes due to the lack of necessary infrastructure. They fear their children may lose an entire year.

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“In our family of four we have one phone that has WhatsApp. My two children, are in different grades and have to somehow share the phone. They attend classes on alternate days. We get the assignments and tests, but it’s cumbersome. They try to keep up with the load but they’re beginning to lag behind their classmates simply because we don’t have computers or tablets or even another smart phone,” said Rukmani, a domestic help who works in 7X. Her children, one in class 3rd and another in 5th, attend two different private schools.

In view of the lockdown, the government had declared that students from classes 1 to 8 should be promoted to the next grade without being made to write their final term examination. After this, most schools opted to start online classes and share assignments electronically.

However, some students don’t have this option altogether as many schools have simply shut operations for now.

“I had heard that many schools were operating online. I asked my kids’ school but they said they are closed for now. The kids are studying at home by themselves but we are worried all this may cost them an entire year,” said Sarita, another cook working in Sector 75.

Government schools are also trying to follow the online model but they are not having as much success.

“We are sharing PDFs and assignments with as many parents as possible through WhatsApp. But not all students have access to a smartphone. We are working to come up with ways to reach out to as many of them as possible,” said Suryaprakash Rai, district coordinator, primary education department.

There is no notification yet about when classes may resume, and how would social distancing be ensured, after the lockdown is lifted.

But some private schools said that once normal school operation resumes kids who are lagging behind will be helped through extra classes.

“We will organise extra classes for students from economically weaker sections. We have a buddy system in place to help these students. We will make it more efficient once the classes start. Every section has a WhatsApp group and all our class teachers have been trying to reach out to as many students as possible, but the efficiency is not 100% and we will work to fill up the gaps for sure,” said Kamini Bhasin, principal, DPS-Sector 30.

The online system wasn’t easy for even middle class families with enough infrastructure.

“We had one spare laptop in the house. But I have two kids in different grades whose timing for online classes coincides. During the lockdown with electronics not being an essential service, procuring the necessary gadgets was not easy and it was only through a friend who owns a showroom in Nehru Place that I was able to somehow get my hands on another laptop,” said Deepak Jha, a resident of Sector 77.

Online classes have led to an increase in the demand for electronics services, repairs and maintenance but with the lockdown in places, people don’t have access to these facilities either.