Govt teachers use WhatsApp groups to clear students’ doubts

“We have created WhatsApp groups for classes 6 to 10, where students and teachers are active. The teachers post general knowledge questions apart from textbook materials. Students actually like these classes; they ask many doubts that are cleared through the group,” said K Maheswari Kalpana, principal of the Corporation high school at Kotturpuram.

At the Corporation higher secondary school in Puliyur, the focus at present is on classes 10 and 11, said its principal K Dhakshana Moorthy.

Explaining how this has been helping the Corporation High School in Kodungaiyur said teachers are always present to clear their doubts. “If we have a doubt in Mathematics, the teacher will send a video of solving it,” she said.

These efforts are helping students who are worried that they are losing track of the syllabus due to the long period away from class. “It is difficult to study at home because we have more guidance from teachers and other students at school. Due to lockdown extension, the exams have been postponed. So it is hard to remember what we have learned,” said Keerthana K, another Class 10 student from the same school in Kodungaiyur.

But students without smartphones are at a disadvantage. “We are helpless; we cannot as other students to go give notes to them,” said principal Maheswari Kalpana. According to principal Dhakshana Moorthy, teachers or classmates reach those students without smartphones over call.

When contacted R Bharathidasan, Educational officer, Greater Chennai Corporation admitted that parents of many students did not have smartphones. He added that the officials were discussing other methods of teaching such students to ensure that they were not left behind.