GUWAHATI: E-learning via WhatsApp for elementary school students has hit a major roadblock: about four out of fi-ve children cannot even be rea-ched via the app.
The teachers’ fraternity is worried that with the govern-ment’s e-learning policy du-ring the lockdown turning out to be unproductive, it may re-sult in deduction of their sala-ries for “not carrying out their duties judiciously”. The state education department had as-ked the teachers to conduct re-gular classes via WhatsApp and other e-learning tools du-ring the lockdown period, the proof of which has to be furnis-hed as teachers’ diaries before the government while submit-ting their salary bills. Officials in the education department said in absence of regular classroom teaching, Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Assam, instructed the teachers to faci-litate teaching through What-sApp, phone or zoom conferen-cing, phone calls and TV and radio. However, WhatsApp has been the most preferred medi-um of teaching.
“It is not possible to conduct classes through WhatsApp, as directed by the SSA because our assessment says that 80% of students studying in classes I to VIII are not available on WhatsApp. Even those stu-dents who can be reached thro-ugh WhatsApp are not well ac-quainted with the app,” said Assam State Primary Tea-chers’ Association (ASPTA) ge-neral secretary Ratul Chandra Goswami on Saturday.
In a statement, ASPTA pre- sident Jiban Chandra Borah and Goswami said even before the SSA Assam published any directive to them to find an al-ternate way for teaching the students during the lockdown period, ASPTA started a state-wide programme on March 28 to take stock of the conditions in which the students are spen-ding their time.
"The way the education aut-horities are pressuring us to conduct classes through What-sApp and e-learning methods is unacceptable,” Goswami sa-id, adding that as a remedy the ASPTA has sent a memoran-dum to the commissioner and secretary to the state education department, urging him to take measures to withdraw the scheduled summer vacation in July and conduct regular clas-ses in that month, if the situa-tion allows.
The teachers’ fraternity is worried that with the govern-ment’s e-learning policy du-ring the lockdown turning out to be unproductive, it may re-sult in deduction of their sala-ries for “not carrying out their duties judiciously”. The state education department had as-ked the teachers to conduct re-gular classes via WhatsApp and other e-learning tools du-ring the lockdown period, the proof of which has to be furnis-hed as teachers’ diaries before the government while submit-ting their salary bills. Officials in the education department said in absence of regular classroom teaching, Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Assam, instructed the teachers to faci-litate teaching through What-sApp, phone or zoom conferen-cing, phone calls and TV and radio. However, WhatsApp has been the most preferred medi-um of teaching.
“It is not possible to conduct classes through WhatsApp, as directed by the SSA because our assessment says that 80% of students studying in classes I to VIII are not available on WhatsApp. Even those stu-dents who can be reached thro-ugh WhatsApp are not well ac-quainted with the app,” said Assam State Primary Tea-chers’ Association (ASPTA) ge-neral secretary Ratul Chandra Goswami on Saturday.
In a statement, ASPTA pre- sident Jiban Chandra Borah and Goswami said even before the SSA Assam published any directive to them to find an al-ternate way for teaching the students during the lockdown period, ASPTA started a state-wide programme on March 28 to take stock of the conditions in which the students are spen-ding their time.
"The way the education aut-horities are pressuring us to conduct classes through What-sApp and e-learning methods is unacceptable,” Goswami sa-id, adding that as a remedy the ASPTA has sent a memoran-dum to the commissioner and secretary to the state education department, urging him to take measures to withdraw the scheduled summer vacation in July and conduct regular clas-ses in that month, if the situa-tion allows.
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