Teacher ensures access to virtual learning in Maha village

Even as primary and middle schoolscontinue to remain shut amid the COVID-19 pandemic inMaharashtra, a teacher from a zilla parishad school in aremote village of Jalna district has ensured that his studentsget access virtual education.

When the coronavirus-induced lockdown was announced inMarch, 2020, online education became a need of the hour,forcing schools and teachers to adopt different technologiesto reach out to students.

For Pentu Maisanwad, a teacher at a government-runschool in the dusty hamlet of Dahifal Bhogane in Parturtehsil, the challenge was to get his students access to properdevices and internet.

''We found it difficult to purchase devices and to addto that there were network issues in the village. Parentscould not shell out money to buy tablets and some of themdidn't even own a simple phone,'' the 38-year-old teacher said.

''I had to convince parents and local residents thatthe lockdown time cannot be wasted and there should be noroadblocks to learning,'' he said.

Thanks to contribution of locals, all 27 children inthe primary school (Classes 1 to 4) now have tablets and threedongles have been set up at different places to give studentsaccess to internet, he said.

Classes of various subjects are conducted throughapplications such as Google Meet and WhatsApp, Maisanwad said.

With the help of his colleague S U Gaikwad, Maisanwadalso organises ''nukud'' classes and teaches children on thepremises of a temple in the village.

Principal of District Institute of Education Training(DIET) Dr Rajendra Kamble, Dr Prakash Mante, block educationofficer Santosh Sable among other officials also visited thevillage and praised the efforts taken by the teacher.

''Earlier, Maisanwad had worked at the zilla parishadschool in Jaipur village of Mantha tehsil and there also, hehad brought in innovative methods of learning and teaching,''Dr Mante said.