Education in lockdown: Poor internet connectivity shadows online classes

Source: The Hindustan Times

 The government is trying its best to ensure that every student gets to avail online education during this pandemic, yet it ṣṣseems what is being done is not enough as students face connectivity problems due to poor internet connectivity in the remote areas of the hilly districts in the state.

In the Bangaan region of Uttarkashi district, students have to trek around 10 to 12 km from their homes to a hilltop in Kotadhar area where they get mobile connectivity from the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh to join the online classes. Earlier this month, the locals from the region wrote to the prime minister demanding proper network connectivity in the age of Digital India.

Anish, a ten-year-old student from Silla village shared a video which showed a conversation between him and District Administrator about poor mobile signals in the village which causes them to walk to forests to receive connectivity for online classes.

The students of Pitorgarh are facing similar troubles where students are struggling due to poor signal and some cannot avail the facility as their guardians cannot afford to buy them a smartphone.

Kishan Ram, a daily wage labourer from Tipalkot village in the district said, “Since the imposition of lockdown I have not gotten steady work or income. I have requested my neighbour to let my three daughters use his smartphone so that they can continue studying, but it mostly depends on his will and availability of network in our village.”

Since the starting of the lockdown, with the aims that each and every child in the Himalayan state is connected to education and regular classes, Uttarakhand education department started classes through community radio, internet, Whatsapp and classes via Doordarshan on television.