The coronavirus-induced lockdown shut down businesses, establishments, public places, schools and colleges for an indefinite period of time. While some things are on the path to re-opening, educational institutions are not on that list due to the ever-rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.
This has pushed schools to hold online classes for their students and it's all thanks to technology. However, that part of one's life comes from a place of privilege and not everyone has the means to it.
A good Samaritan from eastern Delhi is making sure that the lack of privilege does not translate into lack of education.?
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According to a Reuters report, Pal takes these classes below a partially built flyover and stands by a whiteboard propped against a straw hut. He has around half a dozen students who sit on the floor while he teaches them.
Pal is the children's only hope to study at the moment, since schools have been shut for about four months and are not re-opening any time soon. This measure will remain in place till the novel coronavirus has not been curbed. Experts have warned that the peak of the virus in India could still be months away.
Based on a 2017-18 government report, only 23.8% of households in India have access to the internet which is a huge obstacle for children who do not have the facility.
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Pal is a Math graduate who belongs from a village in Uttar Pradesh, and he said that his inspiration to teach the underprivileged students comes from his readings and faith in Buddhism. When asked if the students pay him anything for the classes, Pal said,?¡°I take whatever they give."
Pal's students belong to the slum and help their parents in farms, after class. The area has no access to power and even the water supply is irregular.
¡°Our school has online classes, but there is no proper internet here,¡± said Preeti, a class 10 public school student. ¡°I could not study on my own. I do feel scared about the virus but I am also worried about exams.¡±
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Back in 2015, Pal began teaching around a dozen kids under a tree in the slum, but by the beginning of 2020, he had around 300 students. He even built an indoor classroom inside a hut with desks and benches which were donated.?
¡°I stopped the classes in March because it was too dangerous, but parents requested me to teach again,¡± he said.
In order to ensure social distancing, Pal restarted the classes in July with only a handful of students. Charities pitched in to help Pal provide the kids with masks and sanitisers.?
He also mentioned how his parents feel that he could be earning better and more by working another job. To that he said,?¡°I want to earn money, but if I focus on myself I will earn alone. If I help these kids, they will all earn with me.¡±