Manipur: Student bodies, teachers' association recommend free smartphones for poor students

IMPHAL:

The COVID imposed restrictions have forced schools and colleges to go for digital learning or online learning, meaning that the students must possess digital tools to take advantage of classroom teaching.

Digital tools such as smartphones have become a common medium of communication, and they are required for almost everything now. But, there are few for whom owning one of these devices still remains a problem, particularly people in the far-flung rural areas, or for that matter people who are very poor.

Keeping this in mind, the student bodies and guardian-teachers association in Manipur have urged the state government to provide free smartphones to underprivileged students to help them access online classes.

The delegation comprising of both teachers and guardians made the recommendations to the state government during a webinar titled 'Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Challenge in Teaching-Learning Process'.

The Webinar sought proposals from various sections on the issues and challenges pertaining to digital learning, which has become a new norm now.

The Committee suggested that the government must identify poor students from economically backward families, and accordingly make provisions to provide them (students) with smartphones.

The delegation also put forward that internet connectivity is the key for online classes, and proposed high-speed internet connectivity across the state so that education becomes accessible to everyone.

(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)

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