Human lives have transformeda lot ever since the Covid-19 pandemic has struck the world. Most of our dailytasks related to either household, skills development, or professional careerare now done online.
Meanwhile, the schools,colleges and universities are closed for the physical classes but tutors arestill imparting knowledge through the online medium of studies. However, thisonline studies have not benefitted most of the students residing in theremote areas of the nation yet remained underprivileged to exercise their rightto education.
In order to make suchsuch students learn the lessons, a teacher from Jinouri village based in Bokarodistrict of Jharkhand is using the loudspeakers installed at the village templeto bridge the gap of education.
The loudspeakers thatwere used to preach the religious teachings or hymns are now being used todeliver lessons to kids. The teacher has been identified as Bhim Mahto, servingat Jinouri Middle School in Bokaro, turned the village temple into a classroom, and has been using loudspeakers to teach students while being at their homes.
Mahto has even put up postersof Hindi and English alphabets and other lessons for students from classes 1-3 atdifferent spots in the village. For such posters he uses his own resources andin a move to clear the doubts of children, he calls them to turn by turn to thetemple to avoid overcrowding amidst the contagious infection times.
When Mahto was askedabout the notion of using loudspeakers he said the situation pushed him to takea different path. He realized that children were not getting benefitted by the online classes being conductedthrough WhatsApp as they were not able to understand things being taughton it properly.
“Besides that, some ofthe parents were reluctant to give smartphones to the small childrenwhile many of them did not have the access to it as their parents are toopoor to afford it. Then, an idea came into mind that why not makes useof the loudspeaker at the temple which plays ‘bhajans’ every morning and evening,”said the teacher.
For this, he helddeliberations with the local village representatives who readily accepted hisoffer, he added.
“I have put severalposters and banners of English and Hindi alphabets, names and spellingsalong with the pictures of animals, body parts, and other things as well,which is taught in the classes of standards 1, 2, and 3 students in the school,”Mahto said.
He added, “Students of aparticular class are asked to come out of their homes at a particular timeand stand before the posters and banners put for them on theirdoorsteps and teach them using the microphone which is transmitted throughthe loudspeaker placed on the top of the temple.”
In order to make surethat students have understood the lesson properly or not, Mahto calls them oneby one to clear their doubts if any, Mahto added.
“Since, these classesare being conducted thrice a week, I have appointed some seniorstudents as volunteers who guide the children in my absence,” saidthe teacher.
In order to encouragechildren to attend classes, I also bring chocolates, mangoes or biscuitsfor them, he added.
“Besides, teaching us insuch an easy manner, Bhim Sir brings mangoes, biscuits, and chocolates forus. It is really fun to attend his classes. We wait for the class to take placeeveryday” said a class 3 student Navya Kumari.
Not only kids but parentsalso appreciated the initiative taken by Mahto at a time when the childrenhave started to forget whatever they had learnt earlier as they are notgoing to school due to lockdown.
“This is reallycommendable that this teacher has taken such an initiative so that theprocess of education remains continued among the children. Since,the concept was quite convincing, we allowed him to make use of theloudspeaker without any second thought for this greater cause” saidMukhia of Poplo Panchayat Devanti Devi.
The Mukhia informed thatthere are a total of 30 students of classes 1, 2, and 3 in the village whoare enrolled with Jinauri Middle School.