Infra in State can't support online class, LoP cautions govt

Chennai

Cautioning that the government should not spoil the future of students by aiding discrimination, Stalin said that direct learning in the classroom would only facilitate educational progress in the state which does not have comprehensive communication (Internet) infrastructure. The government should realise that virtual classes cannot substitute classroom learning and deny permission to such online classes, he remarked.

Stalin also added that it was condemnable that the AIADMK rule has set up a committee without teachers, parents and student representatives with the intention to generously allow online classes even after informing the High Court that no permission has been granted for such classes.

Citing a 2017-18 study of NSSO which put Internet penetration at 14.9 pc and 42 pc in rural and urban India, respectively, the DMK president said that about 60 per cent of the 1.31 crore students live in rural areas in the state. Quoting the same survey, Stalin said that virtual classes were dangerous to rural and urban poor students when basic infrastructure was lacking.

He also alleged that the scheme proposed by School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan to supply tablets to students of classes 8, 9 and 10 has not taken off and government has not explored if the laptops supplied by it to students were equipped with software to support online classes for new syllabus. Questioning if the education channel launched by the government would be available to all households, the DMK chief wondered why the government was taking a risk when it lacks basic infrastructure and failed to provide necessary facilities to students for online classes.