Page 58 - EW August 2021

Cover Story

Ritu Sharma remains — holistic development of
our students. Therefore right from
Principal, DPS, Kamptee Road, the start, we accorded equal impor-
Nagpur tance to academic and co-curricular
education to ensure the spiritual and
itu Sharma is principal of DPS,
Kamptee Road, since 2019. mental well-being of our children.
RThis CBSE-affiliated co-ed Despite reduced hours of instruc-
K-12 school has 3,422 students and tion, we followed a daily routine of
115 teachers on its muster rolls. online prayers and yoga sessions,
counselled parents and students,
How satisfied are you with your school’s and organised virtual nature trails,
switch to the online mode of learning? summer camps and several cultural
With the pandemic showing no signs and literary events. Simultaneously,
of abating, I’m glad we acted swiftly we continuously monitored every
when the lockdown was announced student’s academic progress and
in March 2020, and moved our class- conducted remedial classes to bridge
es online from pre-primary to higher learning gaps.
secondary education. This was a dif- Many state governments directed private appeal to parents to continue paying
ficult transition. Many teachers were schools to reduce/waive school fees in contracted fees. But with mixed
not tech-savvy and needed intensive the pandemic year. How has DPS, Nagpur results.
training. But I am grateful that over coped with this financial exigency? What are your plans to deal with future
the past year, our teachers and the The loss of jobs and incomes dur- pandemic disruptions?
entire staff went the extra mile to
ensure that our children didn’t suffer ing the pandemic demanded that I believe that online/blended learn-
we sympathise with our children,
ing is here to stay. Therefore, we will
learning loss during this crisis.
parents, teachers and staff. But with continue to develop online teaching-
What are the innovations you introduced the school obliged to meet fixed and learning capabilities and pedago-
to cope with the challenges of online ongoing expenses, this has been a gies to ensure that our children are
learning? challenging period. We had no op- provided high quality 21st century
Our primary objective was — and tion but to reduce expenditure and education.

Razia Beebi T.A of lectures which helped improve
accessibility and supplemented
Principal, Jawahar Navodaya the efforts of the Union education
Vidyalaya, Alleppey ministry’s Swayam Prabha channels.
CBSE and NCERT also conducted
azia Beebi T.A is principal of online capacity building programmes
the fully-residential, Central- and workshops through the govern-
Rgovernment promoted Jawa- ment’s Diksha portal for teachers,
har Navodaya Vidyalaya, Alleppey which were helpful.
(estb.1992) which has 486 rural
students mentored by 25 teachers on Strategies to deal with learning loss.
its muster rolls. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams
are being used as platforms for
Degree of satisfaction with forced delivery of effective teaching to our
switch to e-learning. The Covid-19 students. Our teachers routinely
pandemic has affected education in monitor students’ online attendance
unprecedented ways. Limited access and make regular phone calls to as-
to Internet connectivity and digital sess and enquire about their health,
devices unaffordability hampered problems with online learning and
learning continuity of a large number these trying times. emotional well-being. When they
of students residing in rural areas Addressing challenges of lack of digital discern learning gaps, remedial
and from poor households. Reports gadgets and poor Internet connectivity. instructional material is sent to stu-
of associated health problems includ- We have been able to overcome the dents through WhatsApp and Google
ing digital addiction emerged as a problem of limited access to Internet Classroom. Google forms are used
result of children’s extended screen and digital devices through regular to assess students and their subjects
time and over reliance on technol- PTA meetings and donation drives. proficiency.
ogy. Moreover reduced interaction The Central government’s efforts
with peers significantly impacted to bridge the technological divide Future plans. I am confident that
children’s social skills development. through its Digital India campaign when schools are reopened for actual
Nevertheless, our school made a has also yielded significant results. classes, all safety guidelines will be
smooth transition to online classes Moreover, the Kerala state govern- strictly followed. Until then, we will
which ensured learning continuity in ment broadcast a televised series continue to teach through interactive
online classes.

58 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2021