Teachers who went the extra mile to educate children amid Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disastrous impact on several aspects of life. Amidst the global health crisis lies the education system, already vulnerable, attacked even further by the inequalities and challenges that are born from online classes and remote learning.

On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, we look at the effort made by teachers to bridge this gap and provide education to their students irrespective of the circumstances.

1) Teachers helped clean up flood-affected classrooms

Sukumar and Dharmendra cleaned up classrooms in Cheriyaparambu that were damaged due to floods. The story of them cleaning up a government primary school at KP Bane in Cheriyaparambu in Napoklu in Karnataka, won the hearts of netizens. Sukumar and Dharmendra were assisted by local youth who helped them clean up the classrooms.

Teachers clean flooded classrooms

2) Teachers visit the homes of students to educate them on the pandemic

Teachers of Nitturu and Kempaiahanadoddi villages in Karnataka went to the houses of students to educate children as well as their parents on how to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teachers Sundrappa, P Pavithra and T Veena of Kempaiahanadoddi, and Nagaraju and Pavithra of Nitturu School not only helped pupils know how they could stay in touch with their lessons but also helped them understand ways in which they could protect themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teachers visit houses, educate children, parents on Covid-19

3) Morale boosting messages shared by teachers during the lockdown

During the pandemic, teachers expanded the ambit of their responsibilities from beyond the educational requirements of students to being concerned about their overall wellbeing. Including worrying about their emotional requirements.

During the lockdown, reports of teachers sending messages encouraging students to not let their morale down during the 21-day nation-wide lockdown emerged.

Teachers send out morale-boosting messages to students

4) A teacher created a Covid-19 rhyme for her students

In a bid to spread awareness about the novel coronavirus, a teacher in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad created a nursery rhyme for students, which would help educate them about best practices to follow during the pandemic, including hand-washing.

Sunita Nagkirti tasked herself with creating a rhyme that would educate students about hand washing for 20 seconds in a creative way.

Maharashtra teacher creates Covid-19 nursery rhyme for kids in slums

5) Teachers run an outdoor school

A group of 15 teachers in Chikkamalligawada in Dharwad district took schools to the doorsteps of the students while taking all precautionary measures. Mask wearing, social distancing and hand sanitisation was the norm in these classes, which were held in the street where students live.

Lectures were held for students from class one to 7 between 11 am and 1 pm, six days a week, with subject teachers visiting each area on a rotation basis. Students were taught Kannada, English, Mathematics and other subjects.

Dharwad teachers take school to students' doorsteps

6) Teachers educate students through loudspeakers

Shyam Kishore Singh Gandhi, the headmaster of a school in Jharkhand's Dumka district, installed loudspeakers across the village so that students could attend lectures from safe distances. Students send in their queries and questions through any mobile phone they were able to access and their queries were answered the next day.

The headmaster had one wish, he wanted all 200 students who studied in his school to have access to education, irrespective of the hurdles the circumstances pose. He wanted students to not struggle with lessons once the pandemic passed over and hence devised this method to keep them connected with their curriculum.

Teacher teaches via loudspeaker in Jharkhand amid Covid-19 pandemic