Online classes are the way forward as these help save time, fuel and lessen health risks
The intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic might have ebbed but the cataclysm caused by it continues unabated. Several States are reeling under the impact of Omicron, the latest dreaded variant of the virus, and an impending threat of the third wave. Medical fraternity is worried about the pandemic’s after-effects on children more than on the elderly. Uncharacteristically, complaints about ‘memory fog’ (loss of memory) are galore among the young citizens. Till the pandemic receded, the Government shut down schools and colleges and opted for online classes, which proved to be successful to a limited extent. But now that most State Governments have ordered the reopening of educational institutes, many parents are circumspect of sending their children to schools and colleges, fearing they may get afflicted by the bronchial affliction. Online classes are here to stay, according to many national award-winning school teachers and professors with decades of teaching experience. Dr C Ramakrishnan Nair, a venerated teacher for whom online classes were an altogether new experience, says the medium is more powerful than taking physical classes.
“If the teacher and the student are equally serious about studies, online classes are the best method to resolve the issues of scarcity of classrooms, poor infrastructure and the shortage of good teachers. The teacher can interact with students on a one-on-one basis and make sure that they have comprehended what has been taught,†says Dr Nair, who takes hundreds of students across the country every day through the complex maze of various Indian laws and Constitution. His is not the lone voice. Sukumaran Periyachur, a national award-winning teacher, and Shylendran, a teacher in Navodaya Vidyalaya, are of the view that online classes are safe, secure and make education accessible to all. “The only section which would be affected because of this technological advancement is the private school managements who literally hold the education system to ransom,†say these two teachers. Another voice of authority is Isro’s former chairperson G Madhavan Nair, who feels that if the Centre invests a few thousand crores in launching communication satellites, the entire education system in the country could be brought under the online network. The innovation would help save commute time and energy, fuel bills (with the exception of practical experiments) and learning could be done without external disturbances.
