Groups petition Rymbui against online teaching

SHILLONG: Four pressure groups have written to Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui expressing reservation about online teaching.
The organisations – KSU, FKJGP, HNYF and RBYF — have apprised the minister regarding problems related to online teaching.
The organisations said that post lockdown many schools and colleges have been insisting on the need to go online as far as finishing the syllabus for the current academic session is concerned.
Some educational institutions are even forcing students and parents to comply with online classes, while many are sending homework to students online as well as forcing college students to submit their assignments online on a given date.
The groups alleged that some schools are even not willing to provide notes to the students if parents do not pay the fees on time.
They asserted that the state, even during normal situations, has not reached the required percentage of smart class teaching and learning process.
“In these situations, most teachers and students are relying on smartphones as means to cover the syllabus of the current academic session, which is ridiculous as Meghalaya cannot suddenly comply to online classes overnight as majority of the students do not have access to smartphones,” the organisations said adding that internet connection in the state is also in bad shape, especially in rural and semi-rural areas.
They stated that no matter how far the academic courses have been covered by the institutions during the entire period of lockdown, it should not in any way be considered valid as they were carried out sans teacher-student interaction.
“What needs to be focused is the mental health of the students in this crisis. It is pertinent to encourage them, teach them the art of survival and life skills, and how to cope with the pandemic instead of pressurising them with online tutorials. However, the government is yet to train our teachers for conducting online classes,” they said.