As Delhi NCR’s pollution worsens, schools are logging on to a new reality: online classes. While e-learning provides a temporary reprieve, it’s a stark reminder that the city’s air is no longer safe for its youngest citizens.
While by the time this article is published hopefully all schools will be back to regular offline mode. Here are some parents, students and teachers sharing their “Mann ki baat”
Winters scare me now. The situation in NCR due to severe air quality has become worse, pushing schools online so as to reduce exposure of kids to the hazardous environment. Constant screen time of an online session is equally bad for kids.
As a parent my concern is my kid’s overall development and here in NCR we struggle with it inspite of having all kinds of amenities. And it’s not a permanent solution. Some schools might not have digital resources and may struggle with technical issues as well. Some gradual yet continuous efforts like driving fewer cars, not burning garbage, planting more and more trees, may help to control pollution and help our kids to live in a clean and healthy environment. Manisha Mishra (Ivory Tower)
“Pollution “…….”A wide impact on daily life through health, wealth and time.” Why are we always in a bottleneck situation, whether it is a matter of pollution or any other issue? We as a country and government should work on this on a regular basis. It’s not a problem today and will vanish tomorrow. Not only children but parents too are getting affected not only because of pollution but also because of the mental and health effects due to changes and shifts in routine. The consequences are disrupting daily life.
Pollution is a big issue which we take seriously every year only for a certain period and then neglect the topic throughout the year, “Sab chalte hai.,.sab hota rahta hai…” Archana (Ivory Tower)
As a ninth grader, I, Vritti Singh Rana, find online classes to be a sharp reminder of our contaminated world. The air, once a source of life, now confines us indoors, robbing us of our active school days. While digital learning can fill gaps, it cannot replace the joy of playgrounds and face-to-face conversations. It’s time to take strong action for a more sustainable, breathable future. While virtual classes keep learning alive, they miss the spirit of school life, such as friendship, fun, and shared experiences. This crisis is a wake-up call to take collaborative action to restore nature’s equilibrium, assuring a future in which education flourishes under clear sky rather than virtual screens. Vritti (Heights)
I, Meenakshi, feel helpless as pollution chokes our lives, restricting my younger child to online classes and keeping me indoors with breathing troubles. The delight of outdoor activities, as well as the basic act of going outside, suddenly appear to be luxuries. This catastrophe is a stark reminder of humanity’s irresponsibility, requiring prompt action to create a cleaner, healthier environment for our children and ourselves. Meenakshi (Heights)
As my elder one is attending online classes and the two-year old wants to mimic his brother, it’s quite a pleasing sight for me but I can’t let him continue. As for online classes, listening to teachers appreciating kids’ efforts from other rooms is like a live PTM without words. As for me being Maa of two in this pollution, I don’t have to go out to pick up my elder kid with younger one thanks to these online classes. We can also see how particularly attentive and hard working teachers are taking care of our kids as all kids are not the same. Overall I’m enjoying it. Arti Achari (Rakshak 110)
Being a 10th grader the online classes helped me stay home and gave me more time to prepare for my upcoming Pre-boards as online classes removed the time wasted in commuting from my home to school. But yes I couldn’t meet friends or teachers so it’s not the best option for sure. Aatish Moitra (Ivory Tower )
With the current pollution scenario, classes at university level are also on online mode. I have observed that students are very content with this mode but as a teacher I don’t have the same feeling.
In online teaching, it has become very hard for me to have physical interaction, leading to a lack of social engagement.
Moreover, at the university level, students from diverse areas of the country can face some technical problems, such as audio, video, or connectivity issues.
I also feel isolated while teaching the class, as students join but fail to respond as they would have done in offline mode.
This online mode of teaching is becoming more of a bane than boon to education. Asha Kiran Gupta
