Bastar: At a time when the entire nation has shifted its focus to the online mode of education amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, Chhattisgarh's Bastar division still lags behind.
With poor internet connectivity and network issues, students face a lot of difficulties to participate in online classes.
Bastar, located at the southern part of Chhattisgarh, where 70 per cent of the population is tribal and they live in large numbers e in forests.
Online learning still distant dream for students in Bastar The infrastructure, in terms of technology, in the division has not achieved a state of quality so as to ensure sound delivery of online classes to students.
People here have to suffer due to poor network. Many of them neither have access to smartphones and those who have find it difficult to recharge their phones on a regular basis.
The situation is such that on July 3, only 17 children were present for online education from the entire division. The figures for the rest of the days are also very dismal as it has never crossed 30.
Not only this, the percentage of registration for online education has also not been achieved.
The literacy rate of Bastar division is 51.5 per cent. Sukma district's literacy rate of this division is 44 per cent, which is not only the lowest in the state but in the entire country.
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Kanker’s literacy rate is 68 per cent which is highest in the division. Not only this, but about 7 thousand posts of teachers are also lying vacant in this division.
Students here say that they are not getting benefited from online education. The situation is so grim that even those who have a phone, do not have the money to recharge the Internet service plan.
At some places, poor students are constrained to study by borrowing phones from others.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, few of the parents said that teachers have not got the right training themselves, so they are not able to teach the children properly.
"In such a situation, online education has become a mere symbolic act. We are now seeking alternatives," said one of the parents.
AL Rathia, Joint Director of Education Department, said that connectivity and signal issues as the most common problems faced by students while attending online classes.
He also said that a major chunk of the population is poor in the division so they can't even afford a smartphone.
However, some positives have also been noted in the division.
There is a group of 10 teachers in the basing area of Narayanpur, including teacher Devashish Nath, who teaches students turn-wise at different places.
They also arrange for breakfast and food for the students. Bhatpal Panchayat in Bastar district faces internet and network related problems as a result of which classes are getting conducted through loudspeakers.
Sarpanch and villagers have installed loudspeakers at 7 different places in the village with the aid of district administration. Children of the village study With the help of these loudspeakers.
However, it is pertinent to mention here that apart from building the required infrastructure, students and teachers have to be first familiarised with the digital system so that the technological evolution in the Indian education system doesn't leave behind millions of unprepared students.
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