Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, is making efforts to ensure that nearly 40,000 students in its Satya Bharti schools across six states in rural India continue to stay engaged with education despite nation-wide lockdown.
Although majority of families of the underprivileged children in villages do not have a personal computer, the Foundation has ensured that teachers remotely reach out to students through smart phones. Class-wise WhatsApp groups have been formed and students are being given reading material, video links and assignments as per class.
Satya Bharti School teachers are contacting parents over phone and including them in the class-wise WhatsApp groups. Teachers are working from home to create homework and weekly assignments for different classes and are sharing them in the groups. Wherever possible, teachers are making use of online learning apps for children. Teachers of some schools have been also making short video classes for students to access. For parents who cannot read, teachers are making voice-notes and sending over WhatsApp.
Parents are actively involved in their child’s learning process at home and are sending pictures of their children’s homework and reports to teachers in the groups.
Mamta Saikia, Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Foundation said, “We are pleased that our field teams and teachers are fully committed and giving their 100% in these trying circumstances. It is heartening to note that parents have been very cooperative and students are eager to learn. It is important that underprivileged children of our country continue to stay engaged with education”.