Students to log in for online classes from tomorrow

Many schools ask children to wear uniforms and log in to lectures with parents

From Monday, students of many private schools will have to wear uniforms, sit in front of their laptop or computer and log in to their classroom.

While the Centre announced on Saturday that a decision on the reopening of educational institutions will be taken in July in consultation with State governments and other stakeholders, many private schools have mapped out a plan of action to make up for the lost time. They have announced that online classes for the 2020-21 academic year will begin on Monday.

Schools held parent-teacher meetings over the last week to inform parents of the list of dos and don’ts. Some managements have even instructed parents to sit with their children while classes are under way. If both parents are working, schools have told them to try and make arrangements for a relative to take over. School managements have also told parents to install parental control apps that will allow them to monitor their children’s browsing history.

Sumanth Narayan, founder of Shanthinikethana School, said online classes will be similar to the school timetable. “Students have been given timetable and will have to log in five minutes before nine. They will have to wear uniforms. There will be a morning prayer after which classes will commence,” he said.

Dakshayini Kanna, principal of Harvest International School, said that from Monday, students from classes one to three will have to attend four classes — one of which will involve an extra-curricular activity, while students in higher grades will have to attend five hours of lectures. There will be a 10-minute break between classes. “Students will have one hour in the evening to get their doubts clarified,” said Ms. Kanna.

Unlike other schools that have insisted on uniforms, the dress code at Harvest international is “business casuals”. “They will have to sit in a corner, which preferably has a plain background. We have told them that they cannot sit on the bed. We have also requested parents not to join the classes,” she added.

D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements’ of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, said that many schools are planning on giving assignments and trying to limit screen time. “They are first planning to have online classes for high school students and later start it for other classes,” he said.