KOLKATA: A mosque in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district has not only allowed its premises to run offline classes for students but also decided not to use loudspeakers during azan (prayer) to avoid disturbance in studies.
The state government resumed in-person classes in schools only for students between classes IX to XII because of Covid-19 pandemic. Classes below class IX continue to be in online mode. Most students in Jalpaiguri’s Berubari area, who are not entitled to attend offline classes, do not have access to smartphones, a must for online classes.
Realising the hurdle, the teachers of Berubari Gomirapara High School came forward to ensure studies and prevent dropouts. The mosque authorities extended their hand and allowed the teachers to use the premises of the religious place for taking offline classes.
From the day of the first class, the mosque authorities decided not to use loudspeakers during azan as the sound might disturb students.
“Education of children should always be the first priority. Children are the future of our country. We are offering azan without loudspeakers to enable noise-free classes on our premises. We have no issue with that and requested teachers to continue classes,’’ said Najmul Haque, the imam of the mosque. Haque lauded the initiative taken by the teachers.
Indranil Saha, a teacher of the school, said they received cooperation from the mosque authorities. “The area is adjacent to the India-Bangladesh border. The mobile network is very poor and besides, most of the students’ families do not have smartphones. So, we decided to provide offline classes for students outside the school. Our goal is to continue the education of every student.’’