Difficulty in grasping the topics, Internet-related glitches, and lack of access to televisions and smart phones are among the issues highlighted by school students and their parents in a study conducted by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) on the digital classes launched on the KITE-VICTERS channel from June 1.
The KSSP handed over the study report, along with a set of recommendations, to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday.
Pace of classes
The report has underlined the need to make the digital classes more student-friendly. According to the KSSP study, only 23% of the students surveyed had no difficulty in following any of the classes. The remaining 77% admitted that they faced difficulties in one or more subjects in this regard. Around 21% cited the pace of the classes as a problem and 22% faced difficulties in taking down notes as the class was in progress.
The survey said 12% of the children lacked television at homes, while 8% lacked smartphones. Several children continue to depend on neighbour's houses, libraries, cultural centres, and other facilities.
Digital divide
Only 67% of the respondents could attend all the classes without interruption since June 1. Other than personal reasons, technical, financial, and social issues have prevented children from attending all the classes. The study said that 39.5% cited low internet bandwidth and connectivity as problems. While this issue has, in general, affected the hilly regions and tribal areas, connectivity issues plague other parts of the State as well. Absence of Internet (17%), and absence of smartphones (14.5%) are the other major issues.
Notably, 76% of the parents who took part in the survey have more than one school-going child.
This has led to shortage of facilities. Only 79% of the students were getting proper feedback from the teachers. Others were depending on parents or friends. The teachers too face immense pressure owing to the added responsibilities, the study noted. Further, it said the children were gradually losing interest in the digital classes. The classes needed to be improved and made more vibrant, it noted.
The KSSP has urged the government to intervene to resolve the problems linked to Internet bandwidth. Surveys also need to be carried out to identify and help students who lack equipment such as televisions or mobile phones.
An important recommendation pertains to the feasibility of decentralising the online classes.
The KSSP has suggested that the responsibility for the subjects of different classes should be divided among the 14 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET). Teachers' groups can be formed under the DIETs for specific subjects. The KSSP has also urged the government to pay special attention to the classes for the differently abled.
A State-level review of the digital classes should be carried out every month, attended by the Education Minister; secretary for General Education, Director of General Education, SCERT director, and other top officials, the organisation said. Reviews should also be held at the district, educational district, sub-district, and school-levels. Data were collected from 1,252 school students, 1,046 teachers, and 1,340 parents from 14 districts for the survey.