Parents struggle to get schools follow SOP as academic year begins

On June 8 four days before her sevenyearold son Arshans online classes began Setare Degamwala rushed to buy him a laptop Degamwala had been hesitant about this transition from the beginning What is the need to start lessons for kids as young as Arshan He is only in Class II says the resident of Kandivli EastBut just when Arshan who studies at Gundecha Education Academy was getting used to this new learning experience the state announced a standard operating procedure SOP to regulate online learning in schools in Maharashtra which was approved by CM Uddhav Thackeray in a meeting with State Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad on June 15As per the SOP schools have been asked to resume the new academic year online However students from preprimary to Class II have been exempted from this The number of hours has also been set for each standard For instance students of Class III to V can only be asked to sit for up to an hour a day Class VI to VIII can be asked to attend up to two hours a day and Class IX to XII can be held for a maximum of three hours a dayWhile Degamwala is glad that her son doesnt have to attend online classes for now many other parents are still struggling to get the schools to follow the SOP Sheetal Kadam mother of an eightyearold says My son Swayam goes to Sanjeevani World School His online classes started on June 8 from 9 am to 12 pm But even after the SOP the school continued with the three hourlong classesKadam says its difficult for younger kids to pay attention in an online class Last week during a computer class the teacher continued talking without checking if the kids were understanding the concepts Towards the end of the class when the teacher asked my son a question he did not get it right So I had to prompt himDegamwala an HR professional says it is difficult for parents to be around the kids all the time While she works with an advertising firm her husband is a data scientist Both have backtoback calls to attend to starting from 930 am and barely have the time to accommodate Arshans online classes in between Kids have a short attention span so while the teacher has moved on to the next lesson some kids are stuck on the first she saysBoth Kadam and Degamwala feel that the teachers are putting in their best efforts during this time but it isnt helping anyone The teachers are also not techsavvy So sometimes parents need to help them The government needs to train teachers before conducting online classes says DegamwalaThe state education department plans to initiate phasewise reopening of schools in areas where there has not been a single COVID19 case for at least a month starting July Schools can first start Classes IX X and XII in July followed by Classes VI and VIII from August and Classes I to V from September The final decision of starting schools even in such areas would rest with the local administration Mumbai is in the red zone so schools may not reopen here for a really long time But even if they do I am definitely not going to send my son to school I dont want to take a chance says KadamParents of older students however have cheered the governments SOP Shalaka Shirke mother of a 12yearold boy says Shaurya is in Class VII He is mature enough to understand what the teacher is saying during the live sessions I dont have to sit with him nor does he need us around I feel online classes are better than having no classesAnother parent Swapneel Vagal finds the new elearning experience interactive My daughter Shakti is in Class IX at Podar International School Since its a CBSE school her online classes began in May They last for about three to four hours and the lectures keep her busy This system works for us Vagal saysThe state education department plans to initiate phasewise reopening of schools in areas where there has not been a single COVID19 case for at least a monthCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news