KORAPUT: Trees on the hills bordering Dudhari village in Similguda block of the district bear a peculiar sight these days. Precariously perched on the branches are young kids with mobile phones in hand, struggling to keep balance while listening to the lessons on the gadgets and taking notes at the same time.
There is great danger to the children but there is no other option for them. Without proper mobile connectivity in the village, situated on the foothills, the have to go up there every single day or miss on the classes.
Ever morning 15-year-old Taba Nayak, a Class IX student of Dudhari High School, packs his bag with books, notes and food, to join his friends and walk about 2 km to the hills, where they seek a vantage point on the heights or trees with a degree of stable mobile connectivity.
“We have to stay for the major part of the day as classes are scheduled at different times. We take food and water so that we don’t have to come back,” he said.
Taba has a group of around 12 students of his class while there are many others who throng the hilltop. His classmate Sanjendra Disari said, “With Covid-19 pandemic forcing closure of schools, online classes have become the norm. We cannot miss them as it means we will in danger of failing the exams and getting promoted to other class.”
A girl student and part of the group, Kabita Nayak underlined the serious risks they undertake to ensure they attend the classes. “The places where we find connectivity are isolated and not safe. But, do we have a choice,” she asked.
These children of Dudhari are not alone. Similar is the plight of students from villages in Pottangi, Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon and Semiliguda blocks. Owing to poor mobile network connectivity, the students move to the hills to attend classes under the State Government’s ‘Sikshya Sanjog’ programme.
Sunam Hantal, a resident of Semliguda said Dudhari does not yet have a mobile tower. The Jio tower at Semliguda and BSNL tower at Damanjodi do not provide decent connectivity in the village. “Online education is not feasible or convenient in tribal districts like Koraput where people in rural areas do not have access to smartphones and connectivity. Besides, the areas also face frequent power cuts,” he said.
The School and Mass Education department had asked teachers to create WhatsApp groups for online classes to ensure they remain in touch with the students at a time when schools are closed.
Official sources said as many as 13,028 WhatsApp groups have been created for 1,66,494 students of 2,439 schools in the district. However, only 21 per cent of the school students are able to attend classes under the Sikshya Sanjog programme, said district education officer Ramchandra Nahak.
“The programme can achieve its objective if students have access to adequate resources. However, the School and Mass Education department is doing its best to ensure students do not miss out on academics,” he said.