E-classes: Students climb hill for signal
Send teachers to take classes in villages, govt urged
Many tribal and Dalit students in interior areas of erstwhile Adilabad district will be unable to take their online classes that will soon be started by the government since they do not have cell phones, signals, or TV and DTH connections in their villages.
They have appealed to the state government that they send government teachers or qualified youth to teach students near their respective villages while following Covid-19 norms.
In some villages, villagers are forced to climb the hills to catch the signals. This was found during the survey conducted by the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) earlier this month.
There are many villages in Kumarambheem Asifabad and Adilabad districts, where people do not have access to internet, DTH or cable services. Similarly, many villages do not get cellphone signals in Pangidimadara, Manikyapur, Asnur, Rompallli, Mangi, Gopera, and Thatiguda gram panchayats in Tiryani mandal of Kumarambheem Asifabad district.
Same is the case with villages like Kamargam, Agharguda, Digidi, Gegre, Jilleda, Morliguda Rampur, Metlaguda, Ravulapalli, Kallempalli and Gundampalli along the Pranahitha River in Penchikalpet, Bejjur, Dahegam, Vemanpalli mandals in Kumarambheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts.
Some parents ask how they can provide smartphones to their children for joining digital classes while they are struggling to make ends meet due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Some Adivasis are demanding that the state government supply smartphones and tabs to students in remote areas, so that they could attend online classes. Durgam Gnaneshwar of Jilleda village in Penchikalpet mandal is unable to attend online classes that are in progress, though he has got a seat in intermediate at Goulidoddi Social Welfare School in Hyderabad.
Same is the case with Mohan of Morliguda of Penchikalpet mandal, who is studying B.Com at Adilabad Tribal Residential College. He is unable to attend online classes as he does not have a smartphone.
K. Anand, state secretary of PDSU, said they have conducted a survey from August 20–25 in which they found that many students from marginalised sections are unable to attend online classes, as they do not have smartphones, TVs and DTH connections. He said it would be good if the government organises classes in interior areas with the help of teachers and educated youth, while ensuring the necessary precautions.