Deepshikha Public Secondary School is a non-aided secondary school. Most of our students come from families that often struggle to earn daily wages, being barely able to afford uniforms or stationery. Even living in adversities students get to school, because their parents know how crucial is education.

Most of the parents are illiterate or have studied below secondary level, and often share how it is hard to survive and become self-reliant. They have dreams that one day their wards after being educated will get good white-collar jobs in different technical or non-technical industries. Thus, they always motivate their wards to gain good grades, as, without that, they don’t stand a chance.

The school management understands that most of their students are growing up with similar hardships, it’s tough for the parents to afford quality education.

During this Corona pandemic, hundreds of schools have announced closure across India. Students during this covid have fallen behind, as parents lack resources for online studies. The school management and staff members worked on various methods of teaching like providing worksheets, Whatsapp, Google Meet, Zoom meeting, and other Google and Microsoft tools.

Although with these digital tools not much equipment is required. The students just need a smartphone device and a stable Internet connection to continue learning from home. Most parents even cannot afford an individual device for their kids. The school management feared the continuity of such online classes under such circumstances. The students cannot have access to a device at all times and in most families, 3-4 kids are sharing the same single device.

The school has started sharing video links so that students can access lessons anytime, which can be replayed any number of times, till they fully understood the concept. Teachers share important points and ask students to communicate during school timing on Whatsapp to seek help on a particular topic.

Now, students communicating 1-to-1 have overcome their classroom shyness and have started talking to teachers with confidence. The unit tests marks are divided based on work done in copies and oral tests, to review students what they have learned and access their learning speed. The tests are being conducted with student’s ease of device access. The school is doing all evaluations, administrative work online.

Teachers come with proper lesson plans, which makes it easier for students to be involved online.

We all have to fight with these COVID circumstances, but use opportunities around us to change them. This pandemic has learned us how to use technology to aid learning.

Ms. Shobhna Sachdeva
Principal