The Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME) has written to Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, asking him to rethink the government’s decision to promote online teaching, assessment and examinations as a systemic alternative to formal education.
“While academic engagement through e-resources during the period of lockdown is unexceptionable, any attempt to formalise it as online teaching/examination through specific modes is unreasonable and unacceptable,” the forum said.
It also said that in India, there was lack of institutional support with uneven internet access and non-uniform and non-conducive domestic environment for learning.
‘Revise circulars’
“Education is about continuous human interaction and critical engagement through dialogue and questioning for which a formal classroom space is essential,” the forum said, urging the Minister to revise circulars and policies in this regard.
The JFME is an umbrella organisation representing associations of university and college teachers, schoolteachers, non-teaching university staff, students, parents and other organisations working for scientific and democratic education.