Schools shut but classes still open: Delhi govt institutions turn to tech
CORONA NO PROBLEM Teachers innovate in e-lessons for Class 12 students; 9,000 sign up in first 2 days
NEWDELHI: Kunal Singh, a Cass 12 student of a Delhi government school in Nand Nagri, woke up early on Tuesday, even though his school is shut. After a quick breakfast, he gathered his notebooks, switched on his tablet, and sat by his study table — waiting for the lesson to begin.
The video-conferencing app on his device flickered to life around 8 . 3 0 am as t he 1 7 - year- ol d attended the first mathematics lecture organised by the Delhi government for class 12 students to ensure learning isn’t affected during the lockdown.
“The teaching was excellent and every point was being cleared by two teachers,” he said, talking about the 90-minute session.
On Monday, the Delhi government started e-learning classes for all its students in Class 12.
However, officials said only 9,000 of 150,000 students enrolled in Class 12 in Delhi government schools have registered for the online classes so far. On Tuesday, around 2,200 students attended the mathematics class and 385 joined the history class being organised with the support of Career Launcher, a private coaching institute
This is in addition to the individual efforts made by government schools to build an e-learning module. Singh’s school, Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RPVV) Nand Nagri had also been conducting online classes since April 1, ensuring that the class 12 student knew his way around the process.
To make the virtual class more engaging, Harita Arora, a history teacher at Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya in Pushp Vihar, weaved in references from Bollywood movie Padmaavat, a popular song mentioning 13th century traveller Ibn Battuta, and couplets written by Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. The lecture also included a 22-minute documentary on Mohenjo Daro and the Indus Valley civilisation.
“We had an English class yesterday and today there was our first history class of the session,” said Suhani, 16, a student of an RPVV in Shakarpur.
The students were also given the chance to give their feedback towards the end of the lecture through a live chat option
Teachers said the virtual classes have helped them connect with students amid the lockdown. “We have been really working hard to switch to online mode and help our students to restart their studies. Although there are logistical limitations, we need to make use of the resources we and our students have. We are putting these lectures online for those who cannot attend live classes, as well as sending the links to our school Whatsapp groups,” said Arora, who is also the member of Delhi government’s core education committee.
Some students also raised concerns over missing some parts of the lecture due to the poor internet connectivity in their homes. “I was attending the lecture using my phone as an internet hotspot, since we don’t have Wifi at home. The internet connectivity is poor here a class 12 science student at an RPVV in Paschim Vihar.
While a majority of the registered students were from RPVV and Schools of Excellence, some were also from government schools in east Delhi district.
“All students of RPVV and Schools of Excellence have tablets that the government had earlier distributed, which is why it’s easy to rope them in for the online classes first. We are also contacting those who were given tablets after scoring more than 80% in class 10 and are now in class 12,” a government official said.
In all, there are 17,000 government school students who have been given these tablets.
Binay Bhushan, director of the directorate of education (DOE), said the department is reaching out to the students directly. “We have asked for email addresses and mobile numbers of all class 12 students from the individual schools to get an idea on how many students at least have a smartphone at home
Experts said the government will have to use multiple means to address logistical limitations.
Aejaz Masih, dean of the Faculty of Education at Jamia Millia Islamia, who specialises in Curriculum Studies said, “Most parents and students have cellphone access. So, mobile-friendly content could be developed besides online classes. Television channels could also be a good option, but one solution cannot be suitable for different groups of students enrolled in government schools. Multiple options have to be looked at to ensure all students are covered.”
On Tuesday, the government also announced it is working on e-learning programmes for students from class 9 onwards and are planning to tie-up with Khan Academy, an educational nonprofit organisation, for the same.