KOCHI: When the teacher told the student that she was going to plant a tree on World Environment Day, the student immediately said he would be doing the same. “After turning the video call on, he planted a sapling,” says G Premnath, secretary, Smrithi School for Children with Special Needs Trust. Such is the bond between the student and the teacher, he adds.While digital education in the state may have disrupted the old system, it has also exposed a divide between the haves and the have- nots. Acknowledging that online education may not be the easiest to guide their children, Smrithi School for Children with Special Needs at Kaloor decided to bridge the divide with art. Having started school in the mid of May, the students had an advantage over the others. They broke the ‘online ice’ with sketches and crafts and are completely at ease with digital education now.
“As usual, the teachers had their lesson plan and structured material ready. But, we decided that when we commenced learning, we wouldn’t begin with academics. Initially, we had Whatsapp groups to guide students. These groups had the required activities that were to be completed or learnt. Parents made sure their wards worked and sent videos of the same. However, we noticed that while the elder students were accustomed to such activities, the younger kids weren’t. That is when we decided to switch to video calls in May,” says Padmini Haiharan, principal of the school.
While the classes were initially held thrice a week, only older students attended them via group calls. The rest of them were given one-on-one classes. “Also, as we started the classes with art, students picked it up rather quickly and could easily shift to their subjects and academics,” Padmini continues.Were there initial hiccups? “The primary challenge was to draw the attention of the child to the phone. We were unsure if they would. However, with time they did and since then it has mostly been a smooth sail,” she adds.
Premnath, whose wife Indira Premnath is the manager of the school, highlights how the special students have grasped concepts at a faster rate via online classes. “Our aim has always been to motivate and bring the child forward in life. A few of our students are already employed,” he adds.