Coronavirus impact : Assam government asks teachers to teach students through WhatsApp

As per government directive, the heads of the institutions, teachers of the schools will open a WhatsApp group with parents, guardians.

Groups may be opened classwise, if number of students and teachers are more in the school. Other free technologies like Google Classroom etc. should be explored in future and feedback of the same needs to be shared with the Education department.

The initiative was taken by the Assam state education department to meet the learning gaps among children and reducing the probability of dropout of children from schools.

As a preventive measure to arrest the spread of Corona Virus (COVID-19) in the state, the state government earlier closed down all the elementary, secondary schools and higher educational institutions till March 29.

According to the government instructions, the parents, guardians who do not have smart phone facility, schools may identify some local youth of the habitations who have smart phones with the support of SMC/SMDC/MG/concerned CRCC and request these local youth to provide support to such parents who do not have smart phones.

The state government has also instructed the teachers to provide necessary learning support through phone based learning materials, including home work. Students will do the home works and teachers will check the answers in WhatsApp itself, and by visiting children who need special attention. Teachers can also share short videos on academic areas and can upload it to the WhatsApp for the students.         

The government instructed the teachers to conduct home visit to students in general and those with learning issues in particular. The academic support may be provided by teachers through phone, Whatsapp during morning hours from 7 am to 9 am or evening hours from 7 pm to 9 pm. 

In a government press release, the state education department said the department has felt that the closure period of schools may create learning gaps among children and there may be possibility of drop out of children from schools.

Therefore, in order to meet the learning gaps of children and reducing the probability of dropout of children from schools, some initiatives have been proposed by the department.

Moreover the state government has instructed the heads of the institutions and teachers of the schools to create awareness among the students, parents and community members etc. to prevent, reduce transmission of the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) of respective habitations of the schools during the period.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)