Ashok Rudra
General Secretary, West Bengal Trinamool Congress Primary Teachers’ Association

Ashok Rudra is assistant history teacher at the Narsinghbandh Harijan Free Primary School, Asansol, and general secretary of the West Bengal Trinamool Congress Primary Teachers’ Association (WBTMCPTA) which has a membership of 100,000.

Schools have been closed for the past 15 months to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. What if any, is WBTMCPTA’s contribution to the learning continuity of children in government schools in West Bengal?
Immediately after the national lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020, we started our Lockdown Pathshala (school) at the behest of former state education minister Partha Chatterjee. WBTMCPTA instructed teachers to pay home visits to children enrolled in 60,000 government primary schools in all 23 districts of West Bengal with special attention to first generation learners/ children in backward districts such as Dooars, tea gardens of North Bengal, Sunderbans, tribal areas of Jangal Mahal and shanties of Kolkata.

What is the major focus of the Lockdown Pathshala?
Children living in backward and neglected areas of the state don’t have access to Internet connectivity and digital devices. Therefore, home visits apart, our member teachers hold three classes per week in open spaces such as courtyards of houses, temple premises, gardens and parks. Thus far, we have reached more than 1.3 million students through 1,000 teams of 50,000 teachers. In several districts where children can afford mobile phones and Internet connectivity, our teachers conducted online classes.

What is the percentage of learning loss suffered by children? What are your remedial education plans?
There is huge learning loss. Through Lockdown Pathshala, our member teachers have tried their best to reduce it. They have also addressed mental health issues of children through story-telling sessions. Moreover, our teachers donated part of their salaries to buy exercise books, pens and pencils for students. Sports equipment such as footballs, badminton rackets and cricket bats have also been distributed among children to spread some cheer during this dark and depressing time.
Most notably, WBTMCPTA members have donated Rs.4.15 crore to the West Bengal state government’s education fund, specifically for programmes to bridge learning gaps of children enrolled in the state’s 92,000 government schools.

What are WBTMCPTA’s plans to deal with pandemic disruptions?
We will continue to conduct classes in outdoor spaces for government school children living in the state’s backward areas until schools reopen. Our teachers are also trying to reach out to children in other remote areas under the Lockdown Pathshala initiative to ensure no child is left behind.

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