Bihar launches app for govt. school students-TYE HINUD-13-04-2020

Details:

Following COVID-19 lockdown, the Bihar Education Project Council has launched a mobile application and plans to book a slot with the All India Radio for the audio broadcast of study materials for government school students.

Deep penetration:

The department officials have asked for evening slots from the AIR for Class IX and X students. The BEPC has also encouraged students for the use of online education portals like Diksha. Students can study their new syllabus using these mobile applications. “During this long lockdown period why should study of government school students suffer? ... we’ve made a comprehensive plan to meet this challenge,” he said, preferring anonymity.

Fundamental challenges:

Jha, who completed her Master’s in Development Studies in 2018 from the Department of International Development at LSE, has done research in 10 government schools in the State with 40 key informant interviews involving principals, teachers along with focused group discussion with 750 students. “There is huge digital divide that exists in Bihar and expecting that the migrant population, whose major cause of concern today is their daily sustenance, would find ways to make their children digitally connect with schools and teachers or participate in online classes would simply be arrogant and irrational,” Ms. “In a State like Bihar distance learning has also revealed glaring challenges that stem from socio-economic, digital and educational inequalities,” she said.