Online classes might appear to be the new normal for many school students. However, a survey Online Classes fall flat in Telangana revealed that 68.7 percent of private school students attending online classes said they did not understand online classes, while 27.7 percent said they could comprehend what was being taught to ‘some extent’.
The survey conducted by Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation (TSUTF) on the commencement of the academic year 2020-21 in schools and accessibility of online classes, said 93.4 percent of the 22,502 parents who took the survey in the State were in favor of reopening of schools with adequate precautionary measures against Covid-19 while only 6.6 percent of parents were for online teaching.
According to the survey, 70.9 percent out of 5,220 parents said online classes were not useful, while 24.7 termed these classes ‘partially effective’. The study covered 22,502 parents, 39,659 students including 30,458 government school students and 9,201 private school students in 1,868 villages/wards, 489 mandals in 33 districts, and it was done by 1,729 teachers.
Among the surveyed, 48.9 percent of families have only one smartphone at home and 38.6 percent did not have one at all. Among those with smartphones, 58.7 percent of parents did not have data facility, while 30.3 percent responded that they had data but would not suffice for virtual classes. As physical distancing has become the new need of the hour, 60.3 percent said classrooms in their schools were suitable for physical distancing.
Some of the surveyed parents feel that if all necessary precautions are in place, schools could be reopened in areas not affected by Covid-19. Giving its suggestions, the teachers union asked the State government to begin the academic year 2020-21 offline. The classes could be conducted in a staggered manner if physical distancing in the classrooms was not feasible, they said.
