E-learning

Setting a benchmark in online learning- Symbiosis Public School

The schools across the globe are closed indefinitely. To practice social distancing in schools is as feasible as maintaining silence in a cricket stadium. Needless to say, the learning has come to a halt for most of the children. Quarantine has brought with itself, an overdose of social media and complete absence of discipline. But, a lot of schools and colleges have started to use this very Internet as a medium to try to keep teaching. Schools are using digital documents and YouTube videos along with tonnes of written homework sent through WhatsApp to keep the children in touch with their syllabus. These tumultuous times test our sustainability on one hand, and give us opportunities to be creative on the other. Gladly, we are seeing the schools adapting to this sad pandemic with their efforts to keep the education system alive. One school has particularly emerged as a pioneer in Online Learning Management System in Ranchi. It is one of those few schools in the country who have successfully kept the school system up and running during lockdown. Every day from 7am to 12 noon, more than 30 classes are productively being conducted simultaneously.

“We are currently using the corporate licensed versions of Zoom and are also in talks with Cisco WebEx. In accordance with the guidelines of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and CERT-IN, we have ensured secure online classroom platforms for all our 1500 students through various measures. The main objective is to establish a parallel online school system where students are nurtured in the same disciplined environment”, says Ali Al Arafat, the

Director of Symbiosis Public School. He furthers adds, “We have successfully managed to translate our school routine into a viable schedule for our children where they attend online classes in their school uniform, have a concise morning assembly followed by four to six periods a day along with a lunch break, just like they do in their school. The schooling goes on while they are safe at home.”

Due to lockdown, books are not easily accessible to most parents. Symbiosis Public School is giving its own Online Study Materials which is extensive and includes multimedia to keep the students engaged. It has also started a YouTube channel with its own interactive videos to help the students even further. The school has partnered with the world’s leading EdTech learning company to provide full and free access during lockdown to its wide-ranged content through its learning app.

The lockdown has also adversely affected the physical activity of children. The school has taken steps to counter this as well. Being in partnership with SportzVillage, Asia’s largest sports management company, the students can also access the “Play At Home Program” designed by John Gloster, former physiotherapist of Indian Cricket Team. This enables the students to engage themselves in various indoor physical activities to keep fit. The school is shortly starting online Yoga and Wushu classes as well. Mr Roy believes that this tectonic shift in education must be complemented by extensive training for its teachers, for which the school has joined hands with Shikshangan, the leading organisation for Educational research and training.

The school buildings are closed; the schools are running diligently. The school leaders are determined to keep looking for solutions to keep the learning unhindered without disrespecting the lockdown. The school teachers are teaching from their very own homes. And the students are mandated and motivated to maintain their disciplined schedule in life. Symbiosis Public School has set a benchmark in the Online Learning Management System with its comprehensive planning and execution. And its influence is undeniably inspiring other schools to keep try