As the coronavirus pandemic has pushed educational institutions to make a shift towards e-learning, the country is witnessing a broad digital divide. 

While for some the requirements for online classes like a smartphone and steady internet connection comes easy, others are having a tough time trying to access the basic needs for attaining virtual education. 

India Today

However, Kerala, the state with the highest literacy rate in the country has managed to ensure that no child from any socio-economic background, is left behind when it comes to seeking education.  

New Indian Express

Here are some instances of Kerala’s education model that ensures there is no compromise on the quality of teaching even during the lockdown: 

1. Kerala launched virtual school TV channels to ensure that students with no internet access weren’t academically lagging behind. 

The state education department of Kerala telecasts their online sessions named the first bell through VICTERS TV channel for classes 1 to 12 from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays. The channel is available for free on cable networks, over the internet and direct-to-home. 

The News Minute

2. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also announced the development of ‘neighbourhood study centres’ to aid students who don’t have television sets.

The centres will be provided with televisions at a subsidised cost and the TV sets will air VICTERS channel and accommodate students while following social distancing norms.

3. Kerala government arranged for a 70-seater boat to help a stranded girl write her exam on time. 

Sandra Sabu, a student who lives at an islet in the Vembanad backwaters which is at least 7 kilometers from the regular boat channel had given up all hopes to sit for her exam, when the Kerala State Water Transport Department decided to arrange for a boat to help her. 

With a minimum cost of Rs.36, the daughter of a daily wage worker was able to sit for her exam.  

News18

4. Making the best use of technology, Kerala has introduced Augmented Reality to aid real-life learning experiences during virtual classes. 

This innovative idea was introduced by Mr. Shyam Vengalloor, a social science teacher at AEM AUP School at Moorkanad. The advanced technology will help students understand the concepts better and relate them to the real world.

This technology superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.   

Twitter

5. To ensure that students get a balanced diet during the lockdown, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan announced that free food kits will be supplied to students who are registered under the mid-day meal scheme. 

Ever since the beginning of lockdown, the Kerala government was home-delivering mid-day meals at Anganwadi centers across the state. But according to a new scheme that will benefit over 26 lakh students, the government is now delivering nutritional supplements and free ration kits. 

6. Kerala High Court restrains schools from levying additional school fees during the lockdown:

A single-judge bench of Justice C.S. Dias pointed out in his verdict that the right to education was sacrosanct in the Constitution of India and is mandated under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. 

The Indian Express

7. As a gesture of gratitude towards the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic, a Kerala school brings out notebooks honouring the frontline warriors: 

To pay tribute to the shield that’s curing and protecting us from the global pandemic, children of a primary school in Malappuram district have found a unique way of thanking the frontline workers by featuring them on the cover of their notebooks. 

Deccan Herald

8. By December, Kerala will be the first state to provide high-speed internet to the economically backward sections of the society. 

The Kerala government has announced the launch of their ambitious Kerala Fibre Optic Network project that aims to provide free internet access to the less-privileged. The state is executing the K-FON project which is expected to be completed by December. 

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The steps taken by the Kerala Government to ensure the holistic academic development of children is inspirational. These measures will further help education penetrate through even the remote areas.