KSU asks govt, NEHU to come up with alternative solutions to online classes

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 7, 2020

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has urged the state government to come up with alternative solutions to tackle the problems arising out of the online classes.

In a memorandum to the Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, the KSU Education Cell said, “The union…request your honorable office to come up with an alternative solutions to tackle the above highlighted hurdles and complications for the benefits of all students.”

Highlighting the issues related to the online classes, the union said that due to the Geographical condition and hilly terrain of the state, network connectivity is very poor in the outskirts of the city and remote area of the state places the students ridding here at a disadvantage.

It pointed out the fact, that some of the villages in our state do not have electricity, make it impossible for students to attend any teaching or notes on such platform adding non-availability of material and access to the library makes it hard for the students to prepared and study.

The union further stated that the excessive exposure to digital screen and devices may cause unwanted stress (both Physical & mentally) for the pre- primary children’s (students)

“It may also be taken into account the very fact that most of the parents especially in rural areas are not aware or lack the very knowledge in operating devices of modern technology which can also add another problem for the children’s to learn from this Online classes,” it said while adding that many teachers have also expressed that completion of entire syllabus through these online classes is impossible.

Meanwhile, a similar concerned was also raised in a memorandum submitted to the NEHU vice chancellor Prof SK Srivastava following the incidents arising in the university due to the online classes.

The KSU said the NEHU Administration has imposed online classes without consulting the Academic Council of the University. Online classes using Google classroom and WhatsApp is invalid since it does not have a teacher-student interaction.

“It is unfair to expect the same level of concentration and involvement as in the classroom. Focusing on Online learning might further deprive many students of quality education. Most of the students do not have proper digital access through smart phones and other such electronic devices to attend to lectures and receive notes supplied to them by the teachers on such a platform. Hence, the education provided through such means will be class into “Have and Have Not”,” it stated.

The union said it has been informed by the students of the University that some departments are directing students to give compulsory morning attendance on a daily basis; this hinders the meaning of a non-compulsory online class. In view of this, the KSU has also demanded the NEHU authority to come up with an alternative solutions to tackle the problem.