Belagavi: Tenement schooling keeps kids in villages busy in corona times

BELAGAVI: While private schools have moved classes online to ensure studen ts keep learning, rural government schoolchildren are finding it tough, given poor internet connectivity and lack of computers. However, 23 government school teachers have found a way out.
Concerned at a possible spike in dropouts, these teachers in different parts of Karnataka are using tenement schooling to keep kids engaged.They're holding classes in their localities by using libraries in government schools, homes, temples and other available places. This has been going on for the past six weeks in Udupi, Raichur, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Mysuru. All social-distancing norms are strictly followed. These teachers, who are also associated with not-for-profit organisation Bharatiya Gnana Vignana Samiti (BGVS), have devised several worksheets and practical excercises to provide alternative education. The objective is to make children learn how to learn. Over 300 students are benefiting by the efforts of teachers like FC Chegareddy, Archana Jain, Shwetha Kothagi, Anita Kumari, Vajramuni, B Kotresh, Gundurao Desai, Somashekhara Kudarihala, among others.
Chegareddy, who teaches primary school children at Belavanaki village in Gadag district, said, "I'm using the library space in my school where not more than four students sit. The children take turns to come through the day, pick up books, collect project work and go home."
Project work includes sowing various seeds in the backyard of their h omes and observing the growth of plants. The children are asked to track the pace of growth of different plants. There are worksheets on integrated learning like puzzles, filling the blanks and matching words.
Archana Jain from Afzalpur in Kalaburagi disburses story books among government school children in her area. They come to her home with various questions and interesting observations. She later asks them to write down their observations. " In villages, government school children may stop coming to class due to long closure. Such initiatives will keep children continue with the process of learning ,"said Sayed Hafizullah, education activist