Students in schools across Gujarat were back in their classrooms on Monday after the state government decided to do away with the online system of education. Many students expressed happiness at meeting their classmates and friends after a long time and said the offline mode of studies was much better than taking classes on computers and mobile screens. The school authorities ensured strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines and allowed entry to students after checking their temperature. Most of the students were seen wearing face masks in the classrooms.
“It is a positive development. There is a big difference between online and offline classes. The kind of education one gets offline is not possible through the virtual mode,” said the principal of a private school in Vadodara. Officials from some schools said due to the prolonged online mode of education, many students have been out of the habit of writing properly.
“Physical interaction among students will foster competition, exchange of ideas and will ensure their educational and social growth,” the principal of a school in Ahmedabad said.
The schools will try to make up for the academic losses and other problems that the students faced in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. A Class 9 student from a private school here said physical classes are much better than the online ones. ”I prefer the offline mode. We will be able to learn more,” she said.
Some of the parents also said they were happy with the state government’s decision to resume classes offline. But, they also demanded that vaccination against COVID-19 for students below the age of 15 be started at the earliest.
Some schools have not discontinued online classes to ensure students do not face commuting issues till school bus services become normal. The Gujarat education department last week said schools and colleges will conduct classes through the offline mode only from Monday.
The decision to discontinue the online system education was taken in view of a sharp drop in COVID-19 cases in the state. On Sunday, Gujarat reported 377 fresh COVID-19 cases, a sharp drop from 24,485 cases logged on January 20, its highest-ever single-day surge till date. The state’s tally of active cases has also dropped to 5,010, as per official data.
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