Odisha to introduce e-learning programme for tribal students

Bhubaneswar: With private and public schools across the state switching over to the online mode of teaching in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odisha government will introduce an alternative learning and mentorship programme for tribal students from Monday, an official said.

About six lakh students belonging to the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe communities will be benefited from the initiative.

“The programme will be launched from Monday to cater to the educational needs of these students from standard 2 to 10 in 1,731 residential schools across the state,” the ST/SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department secretary Ranjana Chopra said.

A detailed strategy has been developed in consultation with civil society organisations, the official said.

For students, who have access to the internet, Whatsapp groups have been formed through which e-content will be provided to them.

“The e-content that maps to the curriculum of students of standard 2 to 10 has been created. This will be provided to the end-users registered in various Whatsapp groups at the school level,” she said.

For students, who do not have access to the internet and smartphones, the “mentor teachers” will reach out to them.

“A total of 4,467 mentor teachers have been mapped with 21,239 tribal villages. It is expected that this whole exercise will keep the ST and SC students, residing in remote villages, connected to the learning process and also provide them skill support,” Chopra said.

The teachers will create an enabling environment in the villages and mentor these students, she added.

(PTI)