The Education Department of Uttarakhand has instructed the officials all across the state to monitor the attendance of students in Government-run schools. A report will be made on the absent students and submitted to the labour department. This decision was taken after recording a low attendance during online classes and even after the schools were reopened.
CBSE has already published a tentative date for board exams, but still, students’ attendance in schools is meagre. However, administration of boarding schools in Dehradun is making students understand the importance of attending school. Several effective measures have been taken on the child labour prevention to avoid low attendance.
The labour department will provide the records if any student is found working as labourers to help their families. The students will then be brought back to school to continue their studies. A list of absent students who have skipped classes for over a month will be made and submitted to the assistant labour commissioner to take further actions.
How Students And Teenagers Are Financially Assisting Their Families?
Students and teenagers, especially those belonging to the less privileged families, are skipping classes to help their families financially. COVID-19 have resulted in many job losses, closure of business and have severely affected the financial status of families. To cope up, many school students have started working as labours to earn some money. This has resulted in low attendance in online classes.
At this age, education is of prime importance in a student’s life. Discarding education for the sake of some cash can affect the future of a child. Exempting students from their fundamental right of education can even affect their chances of achieving a good quality life in this highly competitive society.
What Is An Education Department?
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is a central body responsible for the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP). It is also responsible for ensuring that every student in the country is receiving sound education with equal opportunities. There are several state-level Education Departments established in the country which oversees the educational needs of the students of a particular state. They coordinate with the district level officials and maintain the student’s data. They also provide for the educational needs of the students.
How Have Covid-19 Affected The Education System And Students?
The coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected the education system worldwide. COVID-19 on a global scale has influenced more than 91% of the students. In India, all the schools and educational institutions were shut down in March when the government imposed the lockdown restrictions. More than 32 crore students were affected due to this lockdown.
The schools and many educational institutions are still shut in many places. The trend of online classes rose significantly, but many students, parents and even the school management are facing difficulties in coping up.
Affect on the students: The direct effect of the school closure was experienced by the millions of students worldwide. In the absence of a proper classroom environment and guide/ teacher, students are facing difficulties in coping up with their syllabus. Online classes are not accessible to everyone. Many students belonging to the remote areas and backward sections do not have the necessary provisions for continuing their education in the form of online classes. A section of students have been completely cut-off from the schooling culture, and their educational future now stands compromised. Extra-curricular activities, communication, physical communication, etc. cannot be conducted through online mode, which limits the capability of education.
Many students are also falling back on their schedule, and the discipline in attending online classes is on a decline. Students belonging to the less privileged families are also skipping classes to assist their families in these testing times financially.
Affect on Parents: Parents are concerned with the education of their children. They now have to put in extra efforts to help their children as a physical guide/ teacher is unavailable. COVID-19 have also affected the income of numerous families, and parents are facing problems in paying the school fees. Modern equipment required for online education has also come as an extra-burden for several families.
Affect on the School Administration: COVID-19 have affected the financial status, admissions and salaries of the school staff as well as management. Conducting online classes requires extra training which the teachers and administration have to take care of. Moreover, the control of a teacher over the attendance of the student is also limited.
Teachers have to put in extra hours of work in several cases to come up with more innovative ideas and solutions. Activities for students engagement, character development, discussion, debates, etc., needs to be researched daily.
Many parents have protested the submission of fees as the schools are closed. Therefore, the administration is having a hard time with finances. Reopening of schools would also require several measures like sanitization, construction of extra spaces, social distancing provisions, etc., which would require extra work from the administration.
Overall, an adverse effect can be seen in every group. The financial crunch that this pandemic has caused is being perceived as a significant hindrance causing a lot of problems. Presently, any slack can further escalate the situation to become worse. Shutting down of the schools is essential to ensure the safety of everyone and until an effective vaccine is discovered. Till then, conducting online classes is the only viable solution for the students across the country.
How Can The Society Help?
Presently, even a small help can prove to be beneficial. For families struggling with finances, volunteers can help them by providing food and offering to pay for their children’s school tuition. Volunteers can also come forward to teach students who are unable to attend online classes. Many college students are also sitting at home, and they can come along to teach these kids voluntarily.
