Dhenkanal: Unlike their contemporaries in English medium and government schools, ST/SC students in tribal pockets of Dhenkanal district are missing out on App-based education facility during lockdown.
The ST/SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department is spending substantial sum annually to improve the education standards of the kids. But due to lack of proper planning, benefits continue to elude them.
In Dhenkanal district there are 5, 227 students from 327 villages who are studying in 38 ST/SC schools. Most of these schools have hostel facilities.
The schools have been closed before the lockdown was implemented March 25. Most of the buildings have now become quarantine facilities. With COVID-19 cases increasing in the district, there no news about the reopening of the schools.
In order to keep the pace with the syllabus, teachers of English medium and government schools are conducting classes through apps. However, there is no such facility for the SC/ST students in Dhenkanal district.
Also as most of these students come from poor families, they do not have android phones, essential to download any educational applications.
Worried parents have urged the government to find out a solution so that their children can also get to attend class during lockdown.
When contacted, district welfare officer Manas Ranjan Mishra said the department is going to engage 154 teachers. They will go to villages, take classes in community centres or at places are free from litigation. They will also teach the students on how App-based classes can be attended. “As per our plan, these teachers would have started teaching the students by now. However, the cyclone ‘Amphan’ came in the way,” said Mishra.
PNN
