Rahul Gandhi, MP, has sought the quick intervention of the State government in setting up digital infrastructure in remote villages of Wayanad district to ensure the fruits of ‘First Bell’, an online initiative of the government to impart televised lessons through Victers channel, to tribal children.
The Hindu had reported on Tuesday the plight of the tribal students in remote hamlets who were denied access to the initiative owing to the dearth of digital infrastructure.
“The COVID-19 pandemic poses significant challenges for classroom teaching this year,” Mr. Gandhi said in his letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding that First Bell was an innovative move towards establishing digital classrooms.
While it serves as a temporary alternative, its success depends on students’ access to digital infrastructure like computers, smartphones, cable television, and reliable Internet connections, Mr. Gandhi said.
The tribal students in the district were unable to get the benefit of this initiative as they had no access to electronic devices or the Internet and they would thus be disadvantaged right at the beginning of the academic year, Mr. Gandhi said.
“Such a situation may worsen educational inequities in a district that has one of the highest school dropout rates among tribal students in the State,” he said.
Support promised
Mr. Gandhi requested the government to extend support to tribal students to access digital tools to make this initiative meaningful for them.
“I understand that efforts are being made to distribute devices to underserved communities,” Mr. Gandhi said. He would extend his support towards augmenting digital infrastructure in the constituency and bridge the digital divide, he added.