Jharkhand village turns walls into blackboards, ensures social distancing norms

Ranchi: With no smartphones for online classes, the headmaster of a tribal-dominated village in Dhumka district, transformed the entire village into a classroom. Sapan Patralekh, Headmaster, Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya' at Dumarthar village under Jarmundi Block of Dumka, initiated the roadside clay wall of village houses into blackboards and is ensuring that social distancing norms are fully maintained.

Each student gets a separate blackboard keeping in mind to maintain social distancing norms. The school has four teachers including the headmaster and they attend classes in rotation. The students are given assignments to solve given by their teachers through loudspeakers.

This creative and unconventional way of conducting school classes has caught many attention and authorities in the region.

Speaking in this innovative idea, Headmaster Patralekh said that as the village is in a remote area where there is no internet and mobile service available and due to the closure of the school for a long time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the students might lose interest in studies. So they decided to hold classes for them in a group at their own houses.

"Since tribal kids tend to learn wall painting easily, so we decided to teach them by using the walls of their houses as blackboards. This way, we succeeded in attracting students," Patralekh added.

The teachers along with the villagers and guardians of students managed to set up four points in the village where a batch of 50 students could easily attend classes in rotation and every teacher takes up one class point to attend.

Every day, as per the school schedule, these students get dressed in their school uniforms and sit outside their houses. Further, each student is provided with chalk and duster, in order to save them from infection.

Teachers also get their blackboards where they write tasks for students. Students resolve their doubts by asking queries on their respective boards and teachers respond by answering on their own blackboards.

For the success of holding these unique classes amid the pandemic, the Headmaster credits the Deputy Commission who gives his feedbacks and directions from time to time.

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