Resume Physical Classes For Combating Online Education Challenges

For the past three years, there has been a big learning crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. The fast growing and thriving education sector that has been working tirelessly in achieving the target of cent percent literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir has been severely hit due to prolonged covid 19 lockdowns. The educational institutions of Kashmir valley in particular have been most hit since post abrogation of article 370 and current covid19 lockdowns. The prolonged and continuous lockdowns caused great tensions, anxiety among the students in particular and parents and society in general. The students couldn’t rehearse or be in touch in actual physical classes. There has been a big learning loss as the students have forgotten what they have learnt in previous academic years and the hope for future teaching learning process through physical classes has become a distant dream both for teachers and students amid lockdowns. Though, the education department has taken an important steps on war footing basis during the covid lockdowns to reach out to all students for continuing their education through the online mode and to compensate the losses to all students besides keep them in touch with their studies amid covid 19 lockdowns but the same online mode of education also left deep negative impact on students. Honestly speaking, the online education in Jammu and Kashmir is like providing aspirin to the cancer due to various reasons. First and foremost is the lack of android mobile phones, electronic gadgets or a tool among the majority of students that gives students access to online education and exams is the biggest challenge. The major chunk of students particularly in government schools belong to the poor families and their parents can’t afford to buy the android mobile phones. However, a very small percentage of students enrolled in government schools are having android mobile phones, out of which only 10 to 20 percent students are joining online classes.
Most students joining online classes are not watching and listening seriously due lack of intrests and they indulge in unnecessary talking, internet surfing, chatting, messaging, playing video games, etc during online classes. Imparting education through online and digital platforms needs sound technical skills and sophisticated gadgets which often becomes a main hurdle on the way. Pertinently, a survey conducted by Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) last year reveals that in Jammu and Kashmir at least 22.9 percent of students studying in government and private schools lack access to smart phones. The survey further states that 30.3 percent students of government schools and 13.1 percent students of private schools had no availability of smart phones to attend the online classes. Using mobile phones, electronic gadgets for a long duration for watching the digital stuff have affect the eye sight of the students and teachers. Many students do not concentrate on online classes for long duration. Lack of strong internet facility, lack of education and awareness among students, are other challenges to online education in Jammu and Kashmir. The teachers of the Jammu and Kashmir are delivering tirelessly and sincerely since the inception of online mode of education as per devised schedule of time tables. They are sharing e contents, assignments, audio and video lectures to the students that are being easily digestible to students. However, the present situation of the online classes is such that students as well as the teachers are fed up with the online system and both want to switch over to traditional method of teaching namely physical classes. Physical classes activate all faculties of a student viz. emotional, physical, intellectual, social, moral, ethical and spiritual which is not possible by way of online teaching and learning. Thus, resumption of physical classes would address all the issues and problems confronted by the students and teachers. Time has come to J&K government to green signal the education department for resumption of physical classes at the schools as almost all sectors have resumed their usual activities on government directions in view of decreasing corona virus cases in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the high time for the J&K government to issue the order and instructions for reopening of all schools for teaching learning process with all SOP guidelines in place. The future of our budding students which are asset of our society can be saved otherwise; budding and innocent students get consumed to evils prevailing in contemporary societies. Let’s pray and hope for reopening of schools in Jammu and Kashmir very soon and see the hustle and bustle of students all around once again as it was once upon a time.
(The author is a Teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah. Views are his own)
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