October 19, 2020
TED NewsDesk, Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal and Private Urdu Teachers Union introduced a digital library for the children in Mumbai who belong to the families suffering from a financial crisis COVID-19 outbreak. Like many other countries, India shifted the mode of education from offline to online platforms owing to which several students are finding it hard to cope up with the digital classes due to inadequate facilities. These students come from economically weaker sections of the country and cannot keep up with the online learning process due to inaccessibility to smartphones and laptops.
The Union informed that the students from Classes 1-10 could access the phone library. Students lacking healthy economic conditions attend their classes through the ‘Free Digital Online Mobile Education Library.’ The event took place at Imamwada, Mumbai.
“Some students either do not have mobile phones, or there is only one mobile phone in their family. So we initiated the idea of a free mobile library class,” said Shahina Sayed, Centre Incharge.
“The students are being taught online, and their syllabus is being completed. Classes are held from 8 am to 3 pm. All COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) is also being followed,” Sayed added.
The library currently caters to 22 students who earlier enrolled themselves to join the classes.
The Imamwada centre enabled free Wi-Fi facilities for students. Besides, it also distributed ten android phones. Students across the city lauded the idea. They were excited to continue their learning process without further delay.
Aisha Ahmed said, “Now I can attend my lectures on time. I am in 10th standard and was missing my classes often since the teaching shifted online. We have only one mobile phone at home.” Ahmed lives in a chawl near JJ Hospital.
“My father works as a cleaner in a building nearby; we do not have an internet connection, and the mobile is not available all the time at home. We are thankful to the Union to start this centre,” expressed Kavita, a 3rd grader.
The centre’s in-charge revealed the Union’s plans to set up two new channels of digital library centre, one being in Bandra and the other in the Sakinaka area of the state.
Lockdown in various countries led to a pause in economic and educational growth. The centre mandated the closure to contain the spread of Coronavirus. In times like these, such steps to help willing candidates from marginalized sections will safeguard kids’ futures.
Sources: https://www.edexlive.com/news/2020/oct/18/free-mobile-library-launched-in-mumbai-to-helpstudentsunable-to-access-online-classes-15315.html