Hyderabad: Digital divide brings to fore stark contrast

The students from government schools are yet to embark on digital education platform. While students from private schools jumped onto the online bandwagon, the government schoolchildren are on an extended summer vacation

Hyderabad: Though the government has not passed any order regarding education for students of schools and colleges, many institutions have started imparting lessons through online classes. While students from private institutions are busy with online lessons and are engaged for 3-4 hours every day studying at their homes. In contrast, Rizwan, Ali and Raghu (names changed on request) students of the Government High School, Rasoolpura, are always out playing marbles, running about in the narrow lanes in the shanty town oblivious to the world and the scare that Corona virus wrought on humankind.

On the other side of the digital divide, these students do miss school. Rizwan says, "We do have computers at school but never got a chance to work on them as there was no computer teacher." Same is the predicament of lakhs of government school students in the State."

Rajabhai Prakash Rao, a secondary grade teacher, Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School, Karkapatla village, Markook mandal, Siddipet, says, "We are yet to hear from the School Education Department. The Government school students are on an extended summer vacation, that's all I can say."

Parents as well as students are feeling the pangs of losing out on school days. Venkatamma, who works as a maid says, "I see children fiddling with computers and also speaking to their teachers in the houses I go to. I really feel bad that my children are missing out on studies. We are helpless."

Chava Ravi, general secretary, Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) says, "The Government school students are losing a lot due to the lockdown. The School Education department is just not equipped to go online but is mulling to teach students through Yadadri Channel."

Even if the government wishes, a majority of the students do not have smart phones. A survey conducted by the Telangana State United Teachers Federation between June 22 and June 27 (see box) covering 33 districts, 489 mandals involving 22,502 parents, 39,659 students with the participation of 1,729 teachers shows the bad state of affairs of school students.

A majority, 90.3 per cent students said they do not have internet facility at home and 39.9 per cent do not possess smart phones. Iswaran P, a teacher says, "Government school students are always on the back foot. While the world has gone online and are bracing up for a digital world, these students are lagging behind. The lockdown has further pushed the gap."

Parents such as Venkatamma wants the schools to reopen as she fears her children are losing studies. Then there is a fear that the whole year would be lost. Chava Ravi says, "In some mandals, village learning circles were established and volunteers, educated degree holders were roped in to take classes. These measures have been far and few in between but the majority of students have been idle.

The Government schools are not equipped to start online classes and parents do not have smart phones or computers at home. The gap between the private school and government school students is widening.

- Revathi Muthuswami, teacher