Bandipora, June 03: Notwithstanding the tall claims made by the government about providing online classes to students in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir amid Covid-19 lockdown, the students of several remote villages still consider it as a dream as they even lack basic mobile connectivity not to talk of internet.
Vewan, a remote village in Bandipora, located on the foothills of famous Harmukh peak, is one such village which is even without mobile connectivity.
The students of this village while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that they don’t have access to internet as the village lacks even basic mobile connectivity and they are not able to take online classes amid Covid-19 lockdown.
They said that they too want get education and learn something but the lockdown has forced them to stay indoors and without access to the internet they are not able to take part in online classes.
They said that they were happy when the schools were opened in March this year because they thought they would be able to go to school, get education and learn new things.
“However, our joy was short-lived as just a few days after our schools reopened we heard that our schools were about to close again because of Covid-19 outbreak in the country and across the globe. We have been able to go to school since then and online classes is still a dream in our village,” said, Aadil Rashid, a student of class 8th.
He said they have been hearing that online classes are being run all over Kashmir through which students are getting education but in their village there is no phone connectivity not to talk of internet.
The students said that the government should have thought about them as well as they don’t have access to the internet. “Wow will we compensate the loss that we suffered due to the lockdown and not being able to attend online classes as well. Government should also think about us.”
Like Vewan, there are several other villages in Bandipora which don’t have access to the phone connectivity and internet as well and the students suffer for want of basic education amid Covid-19 lockdown.The villages include, Kudara, Chandaji, Sirindar, Tulail, Bagtore and Ketsen.
When contacted deputy commissioner Bandipora Ravinder Kumar told KNO that he would try to find out a solution about it very soon.
“We have also started teaching students through cable network. I know that students from some remote areas are facing problems despite this. I have talked to chief education officer regarding it so that the problem will be solved,” he said—(KNO)
