GUNTUR: The education system has undergone a sea change in the last two years. After the sudden closure of offline classes due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, students, who were hooked to digital screens are now returning back to offline classes. Teachers are walking extra miles for students to help them return to the old format of schooling, which seems equally difficult for both students and teachers.
In the post Covid times, students are facing serious challenges like lack of learning interest, reduced academic skills, over exposure and dependence on internet and gadgets.
Aparna, a teacher at a private school in the city said, “Earlier students used to sit and listen to the teachers for at least an hour without any distraction but now they cannot retain their attention even for few minutes. This has slowed down their progress in the classroom. We are trying to include a more approachable learning process to enable them to retain their concentration”
“Children have become lazy and playful. It is indeed very difficult to bring students back to pen and paper. The pandemic has slowed down their pace of writing. Consequently, we have to try our best to bring the entire system back to normal again,” opined K Kathyayini, a primary class teacher.
In order to fill the academic gaps, the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) programme is being conducted at all government schools.
As part of this, about 1.22 lakh primary students in Guntur district were grouped according to their reading and comprehension learning level after a quick assessment, regardless of their age, for two hours during the school day.