Assam: Class XII classes now on YouTube

Kangkan Kalita | TNN | Apr 26, 2020, 15:40 IST

Institutes across the world have switched over to online classes amid the coronavirus crisis

GUWAHATI: The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) has started online classes for Class XII students through YouTube, as uncertainly over restarting of the educational institutions continues.
AHSEC has started streaming videos of online classes in YouTube with technical assistance from a data centre and these are being made available for students online since Friday evening.
“Initially, we have started online classes through YouTube in business studies, accountancy and economics. But phase-wise, we would offer online classes in physics, chemistry, mathematics and English,” Manoranjan Kakati, secretary of the AHSEC told TOI on Saturday.
The business studies online classes will be held from 7 pm every Monday to Saturday, whereas accountancy lessons will be imparted through YouTube at the same time from Monday to Thursday. The economics classes are scheduled to be held online from 7 pm every Tuesday to Friday.
An AHSEC statement said that the schedule of other subjects will be informed from time to time. For details of the online classes, one has to text “AHSEC” on WhatsApp to 9477194771.
Following the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba), which had last month launched streaming of classroom teaching through YouTube for Class X students just when the nationwide lockdown was announced, the AHSEC too has taken support from SIQUES EDUAID LLP data centre, which has the expertise to make the online classes available to students.
According to sources, a maximum of 22,000 students viewed the YouTube streaming on a single day for the Class X students as against over four lakh students who appear in the Class X state board examination annually. Insiders in Seba said the low number may be attributed to lack of awareness among guardians and non-availability of smart phones among a large number of Class X students. This may paint a gloomy picture for AHSEC, which has just started online classes on the same platform. The AHSEC secretary was, however, optimistic that that trends will be different in case of Class XII.
“Many Class X students may not be that tech-savvy and smart phones or computers may not be available with them to view the streaming. But in case of Class XII students, it is different. Most of the students nowadays have access to smart phones or computers after matriculation. We are hopeful that our initiative for Class XII students will get an overwhelming response,” said Kakati. AHSEC had recently decided to promote all Class XI students to Class XII, as the board was unable to conduct the Class XI examinations due to the lockdown. The Class XI exam was scheduled to be held from March 25 to April 8.