CUDDALORE: Perhaps no invention of modern times has delivered so much while initially promising so little, says American author Guy Gugliotta on the transformative role of the radio. Of late, many societies have rediscovered the potential of the humble media as it reinvented itself after losing out to television and the internet. The unparalleled affordability, reach and flexibility make radio a good choice for community broadcast. Sensing this, a government school teacher from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu conceived an online radio platform to reach out to students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Today, nearly 2,000 teachers and 25,000 students are its participants and the number of listeners is in the lakhs. Karthik doesn’t know the exact number of listeners.
Karthik Raja A, a 37-year-old educator at Panchayat Union Middle School in Kathazhai village near Neyveli, is a recipient of Dr. Radhakrishnan Award for the best teacher in 2021. He conceived the idea for Online Kalvi Radio in November 2020 in response to challenges faced by education during the pandemic.
“I initiated this online radio considering the economic background of my students. It will consume less data than other methods of online teaching,” said Karthik. “Students need not own a radio; they can access Online Kalvi Radio by visiting our website www.kalviradio.com using any internet-connected device.”
What began as a means of self-learning for students has blossomed into a collaborative endeavour, with over three lakh audio resources now available online for students from classes one to twelve. “At first, I started this for self-learning by students, and now we make students also participate in it, which will develop their speaking and learning skills,” said Karthik, who has been incorporating information and communication technology methods in his teaching for the past 11 years.
Online Kalvi Radio project has also enlisted the support of volunteers from the government’s Illam Thedi Kalvi (education at doorsteps) programme. There are dedicated pages for each district and participating teachers. Utilising Google platforms, the team ensures a seamless streaming experience for users, with audio files available round the clock.
“This online radio is for government school students from government school teachers,” emphasised Karthik. “Soon, we plan to give dedicated pages to students contributing regularly.” In addition to the radio platform, the team launched the e-magazine ‘Minminigal’ in December 2023, aimed to nurture writing and drawing skills of students.
Certificates are given to participants to encourage their continued engagement. The Online Kalvi Radio has set world records for receiving the highest number of audio files in a day and the longest continuous telecast, lasting 60 hours, during special programmes held on Republic Day and National Science Day in 2023. “We regularly receive feedback from teachers, students and parents for improvement and suggestions,” said Karthik. “Through audio classes, students listen, practise, participate and reinforce their learning, benefiting slow learners especially.”
Expressing a desire for government support to expand the initiative further, Karthik has proposed appointing an in-charge for each district to enhance its reach and impact.
“In May 2022, we received an appreciation letter from then chief secretary V Irai Anbu. Our efforts were further commended by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and various officials from the education department. I also began receiving letters regularly from students expressing their gratitude for the audio content.”
Karthik’s unwavering commitment to revolutionise education through technology underscores the transformative potential of grassroots initiatives in bridging educational disparities.