Reality Check: How Students In Odisha's Ganjam, Mayurbhanj Are Attending Online Classes

With the pandemic restrictions in place for more than a year, schools across the country have remained shut. So has stopped the impartation of classes in physical mode. On June 21, the Odisha government started live-streaming online classes on YouTube for all schools students.

But how far has this far-fetched and unrealistic decision of the government been successful? Take a look at these students from a tribal dominated region of Birudigada village under Rambha block of Ganjam district. These kids can be seen sitting on the rooftops, at the hills and inside bushy forests, gazing curiously into a smart phone.

One can see groups of 5-6 young children in their school uniforms sharing a single smart phone to attend online classes. There are other problems too that have pushed the students of Ganjam and Mayurbhanj to the sidelines. Poor internet connectivity in remote areas of the state has added to their existing problems.

Internet connectivity issues have forced these children to walk for over 1-3 km distance every day to forests and hilly regions to find a decent network. Responding to the current situation of these tribal children in Birudiguda village, block education officer (BEO) Abinash Satpathy said that arrangements will be made to place television sets to play recorded classes for students in the village.

Describing their plight, these students have requested the government to set-up a telecom tower in their village for better internet connectivity.