‘Learning via Online Means Difficult, Children's Education Should be Offline’

Q. Is your child attending school regularly? Have they got masks and sanitisers from the government?

Parent: Yes, my children are going to school regularly. They are going to school six days a week for now, but once again COVID-19 cases are increasing, and schools in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Pune have been closed. [The Maharashtra government has decided to reopen schools on 24 January 2022.]

The schools here are still running but we do not know for how long. My children would continue to go to school till they are open.

Initially, when the school had reopened, a mask was provided. Apart from this, nothing was given. We have given masks and sanitisers to our children, which they use regularly.

Q. Did you receive any instructions before sending your child to school?

Parent: Yes, we did. Before the start of the school, a meeting of all the parents was held by the school as well as by the School Management Committee (SMC), in which all these issues were discussed. It was decided that: the children would not use the school bus and would be dropped off by their parents instead; all children had to use masks, they should also have a sanitiser; they would not share their belongings with anyone; and that the parents had to sign a consent form.

Q. Are children also being taught online? If yes, are you satisfied with the education provided through this mode?

Parent: No, right now all the schools are open due to which classes are not happening online. When the schools were closed, children were learning online, but they used to face a lot of problems on this medium and could not understand properly.

Children's education should be done offline as it is going on now.

Q. Have you noticed any change in your child’s interest towards studying since the schools have reopened?

Parent: At first, when the school had reopened, the children were not interested in studies and did not want to go to the school, but gradually they have become used to it. Earlier, I had to make my kids sit down to study and yet they wouldn’t study properly, but now I can see an improvement in them.

Q. Are your children getting any kind of worksheets from their teachers? Are there discussions concerning your child’s learning with their teachers?

Parent: Yes, my child is getting worksheets as well as daily homework, which needs to be completed at home. The same is checked in the school the next day. Along with this, the teacher discusses the things that our child does not know with us so that we can work on these aspects at home.

Q. Has your child received a stipend for their uniform from the school?

Parent: Yes, we did. We received the money for the uniform, but this year we have received money for only one uniform instead of two uniforms like last year.

This interview was conducted with a parent in Satara, Maharashtra in Hindi on 4 January 2022, and has been translated.

Source: Satyajit Shaw at Deutsche Welle