“I wish the problem ends, and schools reopen”
Nisha Verma is a resident of v. Khilora (Ramgarh, Alwar) district enrolled in class 12th at the local government school. Educated at a Kasturba Gandhi school earlier in her life, Nisha considers herself confident and aspires to become a teacher.
Nisha has been inspired and influenced by her time at Kasturba Gandhi School, a government run residential school program where she studied till 3 years go. She describes it as a safe sanctuary for girls like herself from Mewat, a region* known for deeply entrenched patriarchy and misogyny. Recounting a fond memory, she mentions that her interactions with diverse women from cities like Jaipur during this time strengthened her resolve to become a teacher.
Nisha’s experiences at her current school however sound completely lackluster, especially during the school closure. In mid-march, when she was informed about the school closure, she was worried about her final examinations for class 11th, especially since course content for some subjects had not been covered in the class. In these initial days, she informs having studied some textbooks on her own in the absence of support from teachers or the school. Her anxieties were quelled by the state government’s decision to promote all students to class 12th. However, with the exception of some video lectures on learning how to use a computer shared by a teacher in the first month**, Nisha’s education has not resumed since March. Recently, she visited her school to procure her textbooks for the new session and has been informed that schools might open on 1st September.
Q. In the absence of schools, how do you spend your days these days?
A. “Gaon mein bahut saare kaam hotey hain……Night ko kabhi kabhi padh bhi lete hain.”
Giving a daily account of her life, Nisha talks about her ailing mother who works as informal labor (NREGA), her own work with local craftswomen in weaving rugs and describes house chores including fetching water from the village tank. This tank also serves as the only place to meet her friends. This is where Nisha hears stories of her friends being pulled out of school by their parents. Experts have projected a 20% increase in school drop outs for girls and this fear had also surfaced in an earlier interview. Nisha attributed this to the harsh gendered realities of Mewat region, an understanding I assume she has developed through her time at Kasturba.
One of Nisha’s friends recently informed her, “Main to nahi padh rahi. Mere pitaji nahi padha rahe mujhko.”
Although worried about forgetting what she knows, it is reassuring to hear Nisha confirm her plans about continuing her education and to learn of her eagerness to get back to school. At the same time, the gendered nature of challenges in education is evident when she repeatedly emphasizes that it is impossible for her to study at home. It is also a reminder of the multiple roles that schools fulfill in students’ lives, especially for those who are socio-economically marginalized.
Nisha does not respond the question ‘What do you understand about what is happening in the world right now?’ I sense some nervousness and she seems to have limited information on the pandemic. In the absence of a TV, she gets all her news from her father. Again, she has not received any communication from teachers or government officials on current happenings.
Hence, except for school closures, Nisha considers the situation in her village as nothing abnormal. She understands why schools have been closed - to prevent the spread of the virus, but again, does not sound confident about it.
Q. How has the pandemic affected you?
A. “humko to nuksan hi hua hai kyunki hamari padhai nahi ho pa rahi hai, aur jo aata tha who bhi bhool gaye hain. Hamara to padhne ka hi mann kar raha hai.”
When asked for suggestions, Nisha quickly responds that the government should reopen schools. After a reminder of Covid risk that she had earlier shared in the conversation, she pauses and adds that the government should ‘do something’ about online education or teach students in every village separately. With guidance on the phone, she can study subjects like Hindi, political science and history on her own. But emphasizes on the support required for English learning.
As she speaks, I try to imagine community English learning courses during the pandemic, but largely, I leave the conversation and this blog queasy with some questions ..
- In today’s ICT driven times, how is it possible for people in the country to have no access to any information?
- Govt. school teachers continue to receive their salaries and are supposed to report to their respective schools. What are they doing at school? What is the support they need from the government?
- What are the factors in our education system that make teachers turn a blind eye towards their students’ needs and realities?
- How can we as education professionals utilize this opportunity for reflection and transformation, while addressing immediate learner needs?
And many more …
—
*while Mewat region is generally associated with Haryana, it comprises neighboring villages of the Alwar district (Raj.), including my ancestral village (father’s side).
**This content was shared with the students through whatsapp, which Nisha was able to access through her mother’s phone along with around 40% of her classmates. The teacher supposedly turned off the whatsapp number abruptly and was unavailable afterwards.
Please note that appropriate consent was documented and the interview was conducted on phone (21st Aug 2020) as part of an interview series with students in classes IX-XII about their experiences with online education and the pandemic. The interview was conducted in Hindi and rough translations are used wherever appropriate.
To receive updates about these interview blogs and analyses, please subscribe to CovEd Conversations.
