Television classes for students: Has TN govt considered homes without TV sets, asks Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI: Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan on Friday questioned the decision of the Tamil Nadu government to conduct television classes for students studying in government schools in the state from Monday.
“While one should welcome the decision if it was driven by a concern for students in not missing their classes, it seems to have been taken only to answer any questions arising out the government’s earlier decision to permit resumption of online classes by private schools,” Kamal Haasan said in a statement. Even here, the availability of broadband and internet connectivity is 100% only in urban areas, he added.
Raising several questions on the state of preparedness to offer education on television to students of government-run schools, Kamal wondered whether the teachers have been sufficiently trained to undertake such classes, which are mostly monologue in nature and whether the classes have been properly structured to suit this medium.
“While every household may not have a television set, what happens in homes where there are two children in a family but only one television? Has the government prepared any campaign to educate the parents to leave the television set free for the children to attend such classes,” Kamal Haasan asked.