Mom’s calling in the morning, “Come on, wake up -breakfast is ready,” was common scenario for most of the schoolchildren before coronavirus inflicted the country on March 8. But there is no hurry to cram the books into the schoolbag and storm out of home to reach school in time, draining and sapping all the energies down the roads to school clogged with heavy traffic. Lots of fun with classmates during the school hours and making small space in tiffin time for games with fellows have long disappeared.
But five months have elapsed, the pupils’ interest in education without entertainment started to sag. They don’t get excited anymore with the thought that the school bell will ring any minute moment. Most of the things that remind the schoolchildren of their once vibrant places of education have faded; but the replacements — online classes — are also failing to attract the kids to their educational institutes.
Experts say this coronavirus has been affecting deeply the minds of the tiny tots. Long absence from friendly environment of teachers, students and friends has dampened their spirit and the normal life. Computers and mobile phones have replaced the familiar things connected with favourite institutes, teachers and playgrounds.
Parents, who despised most and dissuaded their offspring from using them, are offering those gadgets to their kids for doing classes, taking examinations etc. Parents now don’t have to take the pains to go to school braving the morning rush. They are cool and relaxed now. Huh? ‘Cool’, ‘relax’ are the words which are not found in the dictionary of the parents as students with gadgets at hand are always one click away from the world of entertainment. The students sneak to swipe Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and make a tour of the world they like to. They are turning into truant schoolboy just being physically in the online classrooms what was impossible in old good days of offline classes.
Students, teachers and guardians shared their views on online education when they talked to the reporter of The Business Post.
Fahmid, a student of Class VI, said that online class started when he became tired due to staying at home. At first he was interested in online classes but later his interest declined and he failed to keep his concentration.
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Most of the guardians termed their children inattentive while attending classes online. Some of the children lie down while some of them yell or keep hovering inside their home. Some of them start eating while the class is going on and some of them turn off the laptop or mobile phone’s camera. They do not respond even if teachers call them by name.
Sadia Ahmed, a guardian from a renowned school of the capital, said that it is difficult to keep the students focused when the school is open. They teachers have to struggle in order to have the students’ attention in the class and make things clear to them repeatedly if not once. The teachers even take recourse to different types of stories and puzzles.
Online classes are making things tough including the relationship between teachers and students. As a result, students are losing interest in online classes.
Guardians living in the city may be able to take their children to the table by putting pressure but the guardians living in the rural areas cannot do it. The students lose their attention few moments after sitting in front of the television or computer for online classes, the guardians complained. The students start playing games or watching cartoons when they are left unattended.
A guardian, not from the capital lamented that a few days back his son studying in Class I attended his first term examination under the supervision of his parents. While the exam was going on the guarding went for other business for a while after giving the child some writing tasks. When that guardian came back discovered his son writing from the book.
There are stories on the contrary as well. Online classes become enjoyable to many children during this period of confinement. Mother of Mahir Billah, a student of Nursery in an English medium school of Chattogram, said that Mahir used to do lots of mischievous activities while attending the classes in the school but he enjoys online classes more. The classes usually take place for half an hour and he remains seated for the entire period and responds to every question of the teacher. He is learning with enthusiasm from online classes.
Afsar Uddin, a BCS general education cadre official said that not even 20 percent students are attentive as far as online classes are concerned for many reasons. They are not familiar with online classes. Many students do not have smart mobile phones. Internet is not smooth in the rural areas. As a result, the students are unable to attend classes as most of them are staying in their village home during the lockdown.
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To the teachers, online classes are new too. They are not familiar with zoom. The teachers are having hardship while taking online classes. Some of the teachers are dissatisfied for not being paid any Internet allowances.
Afsar Uddin said that everyone has to be familiar with online classes. He appreciated online classes in order to keep pace with the world and to mitigate the losses inflicted by the global pandemic. Providing solution to some problems with online classes may render the overall activities a success. He thinks it is necessary to make internet available to teachers and students at a lower cost.
Educationalist and principal of Notre Dame College Dr. Fr. Hemanto Pius Rozario, CSC said that education is not for distribution but for building the life. It is possible to disseminate information online but not possible to build life therein. Teachers, students, institute and the environment are involved in building life. But due to the absence of these factors in online classes, distance is being created.
Educationalists think that the guardians have to play the key role to make their kids interested in study during this pandemic as the concept of online education is totally new to the children. The guardians have to participate in the classes seating beside their children when the classes are conducted on television or online. The guardians have to make clear those things which are not intelligible to the children.
Public Health expert and head of Universal Medical College and Research Centre Md. Ridwanur Rahman thinks that the state of confinement is having a deep impact on the children. He thinks it is an abnormal situation where the elders might successfully adjust but not the children. They cannot go to their school, meet their friends and play. The children are being compelled to stay back at home. As a result, they cannot focus on anything and become frustrated.
Parents concerned are taking many steps for the betterment of their children’s mental health by keeping their kids charming and happy. But those parents, who cannot take such initiatives, are letting their kids mired into a crisis.
According to the experts, families have to play important roles alongside educational institutes in order to keep the children happy during the coronavirus crisis.
aa/wi
