Bhanjanagar: Students of the Government Elementary Teacher Education Institution (ETEI) here spare two hours a day to teach students of primary schools in remote areas of the state, who were deprived of online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic, a report said.
This is being done as part of a joint collaboration between the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
As many as 174 students of the institution pursuing their career in diploma in elementary education are teaching 1727 kids deprived of online education two hours a day. Among them, 291 are from scheduled caste while 285 are from scheduled tribe.
The students are teaching the kids as part of the project. The students pursuing their training in ETEI reach out to primary school students in far–flung areas, who do not have facility for online education and teach them near their houses as part of their internship.
Since uncertainty looms over reopening of schools and holding of physical classes, one trainee student will be engaged for at least 10 school students for the doorstep schooling. The programme is being implemented under the direct supervision of their principal Bamadev Tripathy.
The trainees visit the villages that lack internet connectivity to teach students near their houses by following Covid-19-appropriate behaviour.
Sources said students of state run schools are being imparted coaching in their subjects through online method, YouTube and through classes telecast in Doordarshan. The children belonging to poor families are unable to buy mobile phones while network connectivity is an issue at many places.
As a result, many students face a lot of problem in availing online education. Given such situation, NCERT and UNICEF decided to engage the students in identifying the kids in need of classroom coaching and impart lessons to them, July 15.
The students pursuing diploma in elementary education were roped in and asked to spare two hours a day in teaching the kids. Each trainee student identifies 10 to 15 students and impart lessons to them.
However, at many places the trainees find it difficult in identifying the kids.
Reports said even outstation trainees implement the project in their respective areas. Jyotirani Bishoyi, a trainee from Mumbai and Pondrarani Badatya from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, teach both Odia and non-Odia kids in their respective areas.
PNN