Pressure on the parents of CWSN children since closing of schools

 A study was conducted by the Muttha Foundation in Nov 2020 across Maharashtra to understand the roll-out of the tech-based distance education across the state during the school closures due to COVID-19. 19 Children with special needs and their parents were interviewed as a part of the study and their experiences and responses were recorded in the form of case studies. The type of disabilities in these children was diverse, for eg. Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech disorders, cerebral palsy, etc. These disabilities ranged from mild to severe in case of both physical and mental disorders seen in the children.

Levels of stress and irritation have increased in some children as reported by the parents. Challenges of online learning (viz. difficulty in joining the class, keeping up with the peers, understanding what the teacher is teaching, the lack of personal attention, continuously being dependent on parents) coupled with a lack of physical, social interaction or recreational activities seems to have proven frustrating for these children. The parents have reported that they find it very hard to continue such type of learning for their children and that they require assistance.

In these difficult times, the parents reported enduring the pressure of making sure their children are learning as they have to play multiple roles in the current situation. Two of the parents reported having changed their daily schedule to help their children during the synchronous classes. Almost all the respondents reported to have accepted the new situation and are trying to adapt accordingly; albeit undergoing various problems due to the low levels of awareness about handling these circumstances.

This study was conducted to understand the approach, challenges and implications of tech-based distance education for the primary school students from the government and budget private schools across Maharashtra.

Watch this space to know more about the inspiring story of one of the hardworking ZP teachers from Pune -  Mr Sanjeev Bagul. 

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