Latehar: Latehar, a small village in Jharkhand, famous for its 'Naxals' and rich forest products, witnessed a ray of hope after children started going to schools. The village, which did not see development for years, was slowly and gradually moving towards this change when it was hit by the corona-induced lockdown.
With the nation-wide lockdown, the mode of education was shifted online which came as a curse for this village. With 1,234 schools with almost 1.49 lakh children studying in it, the village started the concept of 'digital education' but with no proper internet facility, it has become a difficult proposition. Children of the village still lag behind in getting hassle-free and smooth online education as most of them don't have a smartphone.
While some students do not have a smartphone, others are dealing with the internet related issues amid the lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Most of the students who have smartphones don't have access to a high-speed internet connection. Only 27 percent of the kids are able to participate in online education," said education department officials.
"We study from our books. We don't have smartphones and internet connection," said Mukesh Uraon, student.
However, Rupa feels that the digital mode of learning is helping her gain new knowledge.
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Parents claimed that the students have to face a lot of difficulties during online classes as most of them lack basic knowledge on how to operate a smartphone or a gadget.
"Online education is an uphill task due to poor internet connectivity. More than half of the students don't have smartphones. We are trying our best to impart education," said Vikas Jaiswal, teacher explaining how teachers are dealing with the challenge and covering even those kids who do not have a smartphone.
The process is tough and challenging but teachers are committed to their aim to impart education to students. Students are given assignments on Whatsapp and they get their queries answered there. Those students without access to smartphones have been asked to take their classmate’s help.
District education officials also feel that poor internet facilities are becoming a hindrance to online education. But attempts are underway to improve the situation and to ensure that most of the students avail the facility, provided social distancing norms are followed.
With virtual education widening the gap between rural and urban education, it is time that the government should intervene to provide online education to students.
