Calls to bridge ‘digital divide’ as online classes resume
NEW DELHI: Addressing concerns over the “digital divide” in the education sector, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia Thursday announced that students of 1,030 government schools in the national capital will engage in “learning with a human feel” and have increased interactions with their teachers over phone.
Beginning Monday, government schools will resume online classes with three different strategies for class groups between kindergarten and class 8, class 9 and 10, and class 11 and 12.
According to the Union ministry of home affairs and the Delhi government directives, all schools in Delhi will remain closed till July 31 in view of the Covid-19 crisis.
The government had announced that schools and educational institutions can opt for online or distance learning. However,
several stakeholders have pointed out that many students could not attend these classes owing to lack of internet access and/or smartphones and computers.
“The digital divide should not come in the way of children’s access to learning opportunities. We have formulated a plan wherein the focus will be on learning with a human feel. This si to ensure that students and teachers stay connected directly,” Sisodia said during a press conference Thursday.
Before the summer vacation for government schools began on May 11, students up to class 8 were receiving text messages from schools with learning activities. For students slated to appear for their board examination next year, the directorate of education had organised online classes with two or three sessions a day.From Monday, students from kindergarten to class 8 will receive one worksheet each with questions, tasks or activities on basic reading, writing, understanding, basic numeracy, and happiness curriculum via WhatsApp. Class 9 and 10 students will each receive two or three subjectspecific worksheets a day, while those in class 11 and 12 will have online classes.
“We have learnt that around 10-20% students do not have access to WhatsApp. For such students, parents can come to the school on a designated day and collect the learning material and worksheets for their wards. Teachers can offer guidance to these students over phone,” Sisodia said.
Heads of schools have been asked to ensure class teachers have updated WhatsApp groups and lists of parents whose children are not available on these groups. Students of classes 11 and 12 will attend live online classes in 12 subjects. Teachers will follow up with students over phone or WhatsApp to clear any doubts.