Linking Edamalakkudy to e-learning

Connectivity issues and remoteness are challenges to be tackled

To implement the e-learning system in Edamalakkudy grama panchayat, the village inside Munnar forest division where mobile connectivity is far and few, implementing the e-learning division is a formidable task.

An official at the grama panchayat camp office at Devikulam told The Hindu that as of now there was no facility for the system at Edamalakkudy. The headmaster of the only lower primary school there has been deputed to handle the facility, the expenses of which the panchayat will bear.

It, however, is a question how the system will work in a remote are such as Edamalakkudy. There are several such areas where communication is a challenge.

Amiable ambience of a school and presence of teacher who could inspire and motivate are the driving forces of education in remote areas where students at times walk distances to reach schools, according to Mariyappan, a local resident.

This is the reason why educational moves such as the model residential schools (MRS) proved successful in the region which allow students after lower primary school to stay in the schools and study till Class 12.

“The MRS was an effective way of giving education to tribal students. There were many from the MRS who went for higher education,” says Mariyappan.

In such a milieu, how far e-learning modules would workout cannot be predicted, he adds.

A teacher at a Tamil Medium school in Munnar says, as for Tamil medium students, no facility has been put in place so far except a suggestion to download learning modules from Youtube. How far this will go will be known in a few days time, he says. Devikulam, Peerumade and Udumbanchola taluks in the district have many Tamil medium students.

However, the Eduction Department is confident that the e-learning issues in remote areas will be tackled well. Just that it will take some more time to make it work effectively, an official said.