The district seems to have scripted a success story in ensuring universal access to online education.
From over 7,000 complaints about having no access when online classes got under way on June 1, the number has come down to zero, as per claims of the Education Department.
This was based on reports from school principals that not a single case of non-access to online classes was reported during the last fortnight. The Department, in a release, said all students were attending online classes through one medium or the other.
Lack of power supply, television sets and gadgets, and network connectivity were initially cited as hindrances in accessing online classes. However, the district administration in association with the Education Department and local bodies resolved those issues.
Community study centres that facilitate access to Victers channel to maximum number of students have emerged as the principal remedy to resolve accessibility issues. About 99 such centres are helping 1,313 students now. Facilities were also arranged at anganwadis, libraries, and arts and sports clubs for conducting online classes.
Where students could not access any of these facilities, teachers visited homes with downloaded classes for a week. Teachers have visited 335 students while another 524 students benefited from facilities at schools.
Around 124 television sets, 230 tablets, 53 smartphones, and 1,036 network connections were made available to students.
By the time the second phase of classes started, 7,596 students had access to it. Solar panels were also set up to overcome the lack of power connectivity.
The district panchayat, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development departments, Industries Department, Kerala State Electricity Board, people’s representatives, youth outfits and voluntary organisations joined hands to ensure that no eligible student was left out, said the release.
