Barak Valley set to start radio classes to minimise academic loss

May 01: To reach out to maximum students amid the coronavirus lockdown, Hailakandi and Cachar education authorities are starting audio classes from May 3 in collaboration with the All India Radio, Silchar. The educational broadcast will enable students to learn through the medium of radio while sitting in their homes and the idea behind the initiative is to engage the students and to reach out to them while they are confined to their homes due to nationwide lockdown, said Inspector of Schools, Hailakandi, Rajiv Kumar Jha.

Jha said the radio classes have been conducted at the instruction of the Board of Secondary Education (SEBA) for students not having access to the internet facility or do not have smart phone. Five teachers from Hailakandi have been selected for the purpose. The teachers from Hailakandi and Cachar districts will be delivering lessons as per curriculum and the same will reach students of Class IX and X through radio from May 3 to 8. The lessons will be aired on the All India Radio, Silchar during day time for which time slots have already been specified by the station, Jha said. Recorded lectures of government school teachers will be relayed and students can listen to them.

The SEBA had already started ICT enabled Distance Learning Program (DLP) covering the syllabus of secondary classes. A large number of students have been connected through ICT enabled DLP platform thus creating virtual classes. Jha said these platforms have been kept available for children so that they do not feel isolated and can continue with their studies while staying at their home due to lockdown. He said the SEBA is exploring all options to reach out to students online and offline to minimise the academic loss due to coronavirus lockdown.

98 high, higher secondary schools and madrassas of Hailakandi district studying in government schools under SEBA are now getting their lectures online through ICT enabled DLP in the ongoing nationwide lockdown imposed to combat the COVID-19 menace.