NEW DELHI: Around 43 per cent of teachers said they were not satisfied with online teaching during the pandemic while 9 per cent of them expressed complete dissatisfaction with the mode of education, as per a survey.
A total of 220 school teachers participated while 20 people, including 8 teachers, were interviewed for an online survey published in the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ (DCPCR) first journal — Children First: Journal on Children’s Lives.
The key issues that the teachers identified as the teaching went online were absenteeism (14 per cent), children with special needs not being considered (21 per cent), low attention span of students (28 per cent), emotional issues (19 per cent), and no assessment or assignment completion by the students (10 per cent).
The participating teachers and students also stated that online emotional support and group engagements by the counsellors and social workers helped children to be more expressive and participatory in online education.
The teachers stressed that the involvement of parents became necessary in school education because only they have regular access to children and can directly engage with them during this period. The students said that they missed school activities, meeting friends, interacting with people and celebrations.
Some of the participants also expressed that they were overloaded with academic exercises, according to the survey. Teachers also spoke of challenges like keeping up with online schedules and fulfilling their responsibilities at home. The survey concluded that for a successful online transition, accessibility and affordability of digital platforms, need-based curriculum and pedagogy were among the steps required for both students and teachers.
Raising concern during pandemic times
The key issues identified were absenteeism, children with special needs not being considered, low attention span of students, emotional issues and no assessment or assignment completion by the students.