Mumbai, June 8: In view of the rising coronavirus numbers in the country, schools across the country are closed and are currently taking online classes. It is not only the senior students who are made to sit in front of the computers for their lessons but kids below the age of 5 years studying in playgroup, kindergarten and nursery are also having their online classes amid the lockdown.
In fact, there are a set of dos and don’ts for parents and they have been entrusted to see that kids follow the schedule and they don’t miss their online classes. In some of these primary schools, kids are expected to wear their school uniforms and attend their classes online. These stringent rules have come as a burden to many working parents who do not have any help at the moment.
Online Class Schedule For kids
There are usually more than 10 kids who are logged in at the same time for their online classes. Most of these schools share the week’s timetable once a week with details on what will be taught on each day of the week. There is also a list of props or some other household items that are mentioned which the teacher will be using to teach about concepts during the class. At the end of the day, diary notes, snippets of lesson taught and worksheets are shared.
Challenges Faced by Parents
The working environment across most of the sectors is very tense at the moment. From job losses, furloughs to salary deductions, parents are already burdened saving their employment. Other than office work, there are also household chores with most people choosing not to let part-time domestic workers work, and then looking after the kid. Also, kids below 5 years of age will require assistance to attend their classes which usually take place during office hours. Parents are, therefore, requesting flexibility and also not to add undue pressure on their kids.
Screentime
The online classes can range from anywhere between 30 minutes and 3.5 hours for students below five years of age. If the classes are of longer durations, then breaks are given. There has been a lot of debate between parents and schools on whether it is safe for kids to be exposed to electronic devices for longer durations.
In 2019, the World Health Organization said that children between the ages of 2 and 4 years should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day. The UN body had further said that limiting and in some cases eliminating screentime for children under the age of five, would result in healthier kids.
Kids Miss Bonding With Teachers & Classmates:
The transition from offline to online is difficult for most kids. Kids below 5 years yearn for physical contact and love. In these online classes, there is no bonding with the teachers or their classmates. In addition to this, a child’s attention span is also quite limited and not enough to sit through long hours classes. Parents have also complained that teachers are in a hurry to finish their syllabus and it has been quite a task to make their kids attend online classes. Ever since the online classes have started, Seema Srivastava, mother of two boys has been struggling. Her elder one is a class four student, while the younger one is in the nursery. She said, “My younger one hates his e-classes and it is a real challenge to make him sit in front of the computer.” However, her elder son seems to enjoy his online classes and looks forward to attending them.”
Zoom Classes
On one hand, when there has been a lot of questions about the security issue of Zoom app, a majority of these schools are still having their online classes via Zoom. On being asked about the security concern, a school in Bhandup replied that they have purchased the subscription model, so the app is absolutely safe to use.
Schools Are Trying to Cope With This New Teaching Technique
If students are finding it difficult to attend the classes, it is equally difficult for the teachers. They are also trying to come up with innovative teaching methods which can be used to grasp the attention of their little students. A Santacruz based reputed primary school said that there have not been many admissions to new classes as parents are sceptical about online teaching for their little ones. A few centres across the city have also closed down as it has become impossible for them to pay the high rent for their premises.
It is thus a struggle for everyone, be it kids, teachers or parents, everyone is sailing in the same boat. In order to make this process smoother, there should be more dialogue between parents and teachers. Understanding each others problems in this critical hour, will not only help the kids to stay engaged, but also retain their interest in learning.
