Mumbai: Pre-primary schools and private school associations have welcomed the move of the Bombay High Court directing the Maharashtra government to not initiate any coercive action against schools conducting online classes for students of Class 2 and below. School authorities claim this will prevent academic loss during the pandemic, help students to learn while physical schools remain shut and also support school managements to fund salaries of teachers.
Authorities of private shools, heads of independent nursery groups and teachers catering to students below Class 2 claim it will allow them to impart education during a critical time when physical schools are shut due to the pandemic. Kavita Aggarwal, chairperson of Members of International Schools' Association (MISA), said, "We have welcomed the direction of the HC as the future of education is going to be blended learning due to the pandemic situation. Schools should adhere to the screen time guidelines provided by the government and restrict classes to a limited time. We can blend online and offline learning so that whenever children are at ease they can access classes."
Parents need to play an important role in online education of children below Class 2, said Rohan Bhat, trustee of Children's Academy Group of Schools. Bhat said, "We have instructed our teachers to explain concepts and reasons behind online activities conducted in virtual classes to parents. Parents need to sit with children below Class 2 in order to understand various activities and online sessions. For example, in a physical class, a teacher makes sure that the child is holding the pencil properly in a scribbling activity so, in online classes, parents need to ensure that the child is performing the activity correctly."
If parents and schools get into sync we will not lose an entire learning and development year for the early years, said Swati Popat Vats, president of Early Childhood Association (ECA).
Vats said, "Education is the right of every child. Schools need to maintain the time frame of conducting online classes and not put additional academic pressure on children below Class 2. Schools should ensure to impart content which is going to help students and not something that will make them more anxious."
Till now, several private schools, pre-primary schools, nursery groups, teachers and parents were opposing the blanket ban on online classes for below Class 2 imposed by the Maharashtra government. The state government had released a circular on June 15 with SOP guidelines stating, "There will be no online lectures for students from pre-primary to Standard 2. But these students can learn via the education content provided on television (TV) and radio." On July 14, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) released "Pragyata" guidelines on digital education recommending a screen time of not more than 30 minutes per day for pre-primary students.
