AIZAWL:
After two years, schools re-opened in Mizoram on April 5. Congratulating the students for finally being able to go for physical classes, school education minister Lalchhandama Ralte said that the last two years have been hard on them, especially those living in remote areas of the state.
“I am really happy that students are going back to schools today, after two years of online classes. Even though online classes were conducted during the last two years, many students, especially in remote places where internet connectivity was poor, could not get adequate teaching. It greatly hampered their learning abilities,” Ralte said.
Students, parents and teachers of the state, however, gave a mixed response to the resumption of offline classes. While some were happy that classes have resumed, others expressed concern about students adapting to physical classes after a hiatus of two years.
Zorammuani, a private school teacher, said that online classes adversely affected the discipline and potential of the students, who otherwise were subjected to regular monitoring and assessment under the system of offline classes. “To instil such discipline again, will take time,” she said.
“Generally speaking, students became lazy, undisciplined and it was easy to cheat during online classes. It also affected their mental health. Therefore, it may take some time for the students to adjust to the strict school rules again,” she added.
Another concerned teacher, on the condition of anonymity, said that the students may have a hard time adjusting to school routines – waking up early, reaching school on time and adapting to learning in a school environment, among others.
“As going back to school means attentively listening to the teachers, writing down notes, sitting straight, which were absent in online classes,” he said.
Stating that offline classes were required for the students who, over the last two years, have lost the strict discipline of school environment, another government school teacher stated that classroom teaching is far more effective than online studies.
“During the last two years of online classes, students’ learning capacity has gone down. We are planning to do various activities to make them feel at ease with their friends and teachers,” she said.
Similarly, while some students are happy to be back in schools, some are reluctant to attend physical classes.
“I have passed my eighth and ninth standards through online classes. Now, I will be in Class 10. Online classes were too boring, I am excited to be back in school as I will now be able to meet my teachers and mingle with friends,” said Stephen Vanzaipuia, a student of a private high school. On the contrary, his friend, Remruata, is reluctant to go back to school.
Parents, especially those of elementary school students, however, heaved a sigh of relief to send their children back to school. “During online classes, we were the teachers of our kids. Their teachers gave them assignments, but it was us who actually taught them, which was an additional burden on us,” said Lalduhsaki, mother of a five-year-old.
Earlier, the Mizoram government had allowed offline classes for students of Class 10 and 12 who were to sit for the board examinations, and with the improvement of Covid-19 situation, the education department issued a new standard operating procedure (SOPs) allowing reopening of all schools and resumption of all classes.
As per the SOPs devised by the school education department, schools and hostels have been re-opened for the new academic session, and classes will happen as pre-Covid times.
Classes for final semester of college students have also resumed, and offline classes for students of other semesters too will take place from the new academic session starting in July, the SOP mentioned.
The SOP further asserted that PhD scholars in the Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants (HAMP) of Mizoram University have also been permitted to attend classes for course work.