Online classes

A group of 25 students in South Goa, trek 3km everyday in search of better internet signals to attend online classes. The students, from villages in Sanguem Taluka, climb atop Kumari hill in Netravati Wildlife Sanctuary, to get Internet connectivity. They sit shelter-less on rocks amid fear of snakes crawling on the plateau. Neelima Ekdo, an engineering  student said,  “We come here by 8:10am and return by 1pm after classes get over.”

Teachers and volunteers in Jharkhand’s Dumka district are teaching students in unique Mohalla schools. The students solve questions on the blackboards painted on walls while the instructor uses speakers to teach. According to the district administration, around 450 zones face poor mobile-connectivity, hence affecting online education. The Education Superintendent of Dumka, said the idea was inspired by teacher Shyam Gandhi, who began teaching… read-more

Congress MP Ahmed Patel asked the Centre to create a taskforce to form guidelines regarding online-classes. He asked the government to provide gadgets for online-classes, and also demanded an increase in expenditure to aid poor students. The MP said, "Digital India should not become an instrument of 'digital divide'", and alleged that despite the government's promise of 2.5 lakh villages getting broadband connection by 2017, only 23,000… read-more

On September 18, Delhi High court declared that the Private schools providing Online-classes is a responsibility under Right To Education (RTE) Act, not social service. Court mandated the private and government schools to provide gadgets and internet plans to the needy. Failing to abide the orders will be treated as 'discrimination' and 'digital apartheid’, court added. "The RTE Act can be 'Dynamically Interpreted' if need arrises," the court… read-more

Kandajan Government High school in Budgam district of J&K is undertaking an 'Open-air community class' initiative to compensate the students' academic loss. The initiative aims to counter the poor internet connectivity issue faced in online classes as well as provide learning opportunities to students who cannot afford smartphones. Headmaster Manzoor Ahmed informed that the classes were conducted with the permission of… read-more