Students’ hop, skip and jump on screen has stakeholders worried

Nagpur: Since mid-March, students have been literally locked up inside homes and with no clarity yet on the physical reopening of schools, academicians, health experts and parents are worried about the impact it’s having on them.
With almost three decades of teaching/supervising experience in pre-primary education, Kalpana Dhareshwar said the lockdown is a big challenge. “For years, we have been telling children to go out and play and stay away from the phone or TV. Now it’s just the opposite. Fortunately, parents are at home, too, so that cushions the blow for children because of the support system they provide.”
Senior academician at an MBA institute, Carol Rao feels being cooped up inside homes is having a negative impact on students’ mental health. “Due to the lockdown, they are unable to share their feelings which is leading to depression. They must spend some time improving their skills which will help them overcome their depression and learn something new,” said Rao.
Senior medical practitioner and psychologist, Dr Rajiv Mohta said students are feeling the pressure in the current scenario. “Adolescents feel compassionate with peers as they can share their feeling with them honestly. Schools should think of appointing additional staff and counsellors to help students,” said Dr Mohta.
He added that “in regular classes, multi multifaceted learning happens, leading to discussions and two-way communication”.
Rajnikant Bondre, a private coaching institute owner, said it’s important to spend time with peers. “It helps students learn important life skills which bookish knowledge can never teach. Skills such as interacting with people, leadership qualities etc can help a lot,” said Bondre.
Another private coaching institute owner, Panini Telang, said the prolonged lockdown is diverting students’ attention. “The distraction like OTT platforms and social media are diverting students from studies. They are becoming more lazy and losing their energy levels. Students who are in class XI or are school-going are enjoying holidays in a sense,” said Telang.
Dilip Bose, a senior school principal, says the dependence on gadgets has increased during the lockdown which is ‘not good’. “They are not into traditional teaching anymore due to online classes. This has made them lethargic and completely dependent on gadgets for learning,” said Bose.
Another senior principal, Madhu Joseph, said students might have to wait longer for coming back to schools. “It will become a very difficult task to gain parents’ trust regarding sending their wards back because of the Covid-19 threat. But reopening of schools is also needed because physical learning is better than distant learning,” said Joseph.
Ashok Gavhankar, a senior principal, said excessive gadgets will harm children. “The usage of gadgets has increased so much that it is affecting their mental as well as physical health. They are becoming lazy and if this continues, they will refuse to go out of the house and do outdoor activities,” said Gavhankar.