Special interests seeking to derail online courses in Kerala: educators

One of the main fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic has been the online courses launched by the government of Kerala. This innovative education system became popular statewide when the government ordered schools and colleges closed to keep students away from the marauding virus that has killed more than 46,000 to date.
But an attempt is being made by vested interests to derail the online system with lame excuses, according to leading educators.
Although some teachers made reservations, online courses were widely accepted as an effective tool compared to conventional classrooms. Although the students missed their campus life, which included the daily bickering over non-issues, jokes, peer-to-peer fellowship, and “anthakshari” events during class breaks, the majority of them as well as Educational faculties have welcomed the online education system that they have found. be more effective than traditional courses.
“Initially, I had reservations about the effectiveness of online courses. But it proved that I as well as the principal of the school could monitor the functioning of the classes, the quality of the teaching as well as the performance of the pupils. Now I prefer online lessons, ”said Jayaprakash Valiathan, principal of Vidhyadhiraja Vidyapeetam upper secondary school, Mavelikkara. He found that teachers and students alike were happy that they didn’t have to travel the distance on a daily basis and could attend classes from their homes.