Delhi Schools Set To Reopen Online, Students Set To Face Fight To Stay Connected

Source: Hindustan Times

With schools in the capital set to reopen after a long summer break, parents of economically weaker sections worry about their children’s future in the absence of accessibility to internet and connectivity devices.

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While many parents, whose children could not attend online classes before the summer break, said they are trying to arrange devices now, some said they won’t be able to do so due to financial constraints and the challenges they have been facing since the lockdown.

The schools will start with online classes from the first week of July.

Malkeet Singh, a resident of Tilak Nagar, has been out of work ever since the nationwide lockdown was announced in March to control the spread of Covid-19. His daughter (7) and son (11), have not attended any online class since the academic session began online in April. His children are enrolled in two private schools in Rajouri Garden and Paschim Vihar — in Class 2 and Class 6 respectively — under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota.

Lakshman (who goes only by his first name), a carpenter in Punjabi Bagh, said that he has not got any work despite the lockdown being lifted.

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His son, a Class 2 student enrolled in a private school under the EWS quota, has not been able to attend an online class yet since they don’t have a smartphone at home. “I am a laborer and I make sofas for contractors. No one wants to call us home for work fearing infection. Even if I buy a smartphone by taking some loans, I won’t be able to afford the Internet packages.

Schools are shut nationwide in the wake of the global pandemic. Meanwhile, education has shifted to a digital platform that demands access to smartphones and the internet. While several have taken a seat in the world of online education, those who belong to the economically weaker section could not have one. The education industry has faced a drastic change and like always, the poor are the worst hit.