Nagpur: Like millions around the world, Std I school student Naksh Nayyar sits in front of his computer screen every morning for his online classes. But unlike million others, Naksh’s school exists only on computer servers and classrooms are just data packets zipping across through the information highway.
Many like him are slowly shifting to online-only schools where they can continue their education regardless of where they are located on the map and at a much cheaper cost. It’s estimated that thousands of students in India have enrolled in various completely online schools which are considered to be the new frontier in the education sector.
Yeshwanth Raj Parasmal, co-founder and principal director of 21K School, said, online schools offer ‘more bang for the buck’. “It works just like a regular school offering the NCERT curriculum. Here, students have their own sections, specific timings and learn things over and above what a traditional school set up has to offer as the best teachers from anywhere in the world can teach your kids,” said Parasmal who has more than 300 students enrolled in his online school.
Mumbai resident Naksh’s mother Rupika agrees, saying fees charged by traditional schools do not offer the same value. “We are service class people. So why would we go to a physical school when the same syllabus and better quality education is being imparted to our kids at one-third of what the others schools are charging,” said Rupika.
Since there is no provision of affiliating online-only schools by CBSE, CISCE or any other state board, students are currently enrolled up till V in most of these schools, with plans in place to take it all the way forward. Some schools are also in the process of exploring affiliation options with international boards so that by the time these students move in the next five years, they will have an accredited board certificate.
Mumbai resident Goverdhan Kothari’son Tanish is enrolled in Std V of an online school. He says that online school is the best option this year. “Regular schools have started online teaching but they don’t even have the infrastructure. Online schools have an amazing set up and that enables much better teaching quality,” said Kothari. He plans to continue with online schooling even in the next session, when it’s assumed that the fear of the pandemic will be minimal. “I have seen improvement in my child’s learning abilities and now I feel that the three-hour class limit is not enough,” said Kothari.
Aresha Arif, also from Mumbai, has her twins Azeen and Aiza in Std III and an elder child Azlan in Std V enrolled in an online school. “We are travelling abroad soon and I shall be at ease knowing that my children won’t miss school because of that. Another advantage of an online school is safety because we often get news about predators,” said Arif.
Punjab resident Meenu Gakhar, whose daughter Trishita is studying in Std I, also likes the diversity in the classroom. “I see students coming from different states and that pan-India presence is something which appealed to us. We wanted her to study in such an environment,” said Gakhar.
Acquaintances do wonder about the choices made by these parents, but Mumbai resident Agnes Lobo says it’s only because the concept is new. “Eventually people will adapt to digital and online schooling. The basic difference I see is that most of the parents who are going to work, for them this is difficult, but for a stay-home parent, the digital school is a better option,” said Lobo whose son Aaden is in KG-2.
But traditional schools also shape social skills of students and help them navigate the real world in later years. Parasmal’s partner Santosh Kumar says that this is a misconception when put in perspective of this generation. “Today’s kids interact almost completely online. And they develop the same social skills as others because interaction remains the same, it’s only the mode which has changed. Also, kids interact in the physical world with children in the neighbourhood, family circle etc. So, to say that social skills are taught only in a physical set up is not entirely correct,” said Kumar.