For schoolchildren unable to access internet, gadgets in Tripura, govt to start neighbourhood classes

Agartala: The Tripura government has decided to start neighbourhood classes for school students, mostly in remote areas, who do not have television sets or mobile phones, an official said on Wednesday. The classes will begin from 20 August. After the lockdown started from March, the state government had introduced virtual classes through cable TV networks and android phones so that the students could be engaged in the process of learning. “But a recent survey conducted by the state Education Department has shown that all students do not have access to phones and TV. So, the government has decided to begin neighbourhood classes from 20 August,” the official said. The initiative will help students who cannot take the benefit of the digital initiatives being run by the Tripura school education department. Earlier this week, state education minister Ratan Lal Nath had said that a survey conducted by his department in all the eight districts showed that 29 percent (94,013) of the 3.22 lakh students did not have mobile phones and around 44 percent (1.42 lakh) of the students did not have access to television. “Since these students cant avail our ongoing classes, we have decided to start neighbourhood classes with 1:5 teacher student ratio, mostly in remote areas,” Nath had said. The neighbourhood classes will be organised in open spaces near the schools and a single teacher will teach a maximum of five students by strictly maintaining social distancing. One teacher will teach two groups a day for a period of at least two hours. Students from class 3 to class 12 will participate in the neighbourhood classes, he said. In consultation with guardians, the headmaster will select the places for holding the classes and the school authorities will make arrangements for providing soaps and water for washing hands. Students suffering from fever or cough won’t be allowed in the classes, the official said.