School closures due to the pandemic have left millions of children bereft of education, due to lack of resources and the inability to afford a device.
Children of the marginalized and unorganized sectors of our society have been forced to drop out of school.
In an attempt to bridge the digital need gap, the SCHOOL ON TAB initiative by the Centre For Transforming India (CFTI), in association with the Dharavi Foundation aims at enabling over 1000+ students in the slum areas of Dharavi - Asia's largest slum, to continue with their online schooling and remote learning, through digital mediums.
"UNICEF highlights that school closures lead to a disruption in the progress that our society has made towards gender equality. It also increases the exposure of girl children being forced into child marriages. Continuing with online schooling also helps alleviate depression that results from being socially disconnected, besides preventing these vulnerable children from indulging in socially negative activities. If left unaddressed, I fear that these children will be forced to become part of the child labor force and will lose all opportunities towards a literate future" says the Mentor Trustee at CFTI, Chitralekha Patil.
This initiative includes beneficiaries receiving a new tab with a 1GB RAM, ideal for accessing online schooling, with basic skills software, a pair of noise-canceling earphones, 1GB daily data recharge and one tab protection cover. A team of student volunteers have also come forth to support the initiative.
Says Jiya Sejpal, a 10th grade student of MRV School Bandra and part of the Student Volunteer Team, "We feel really sad that the education of these children is neglected while their parents struggle to make a living during these hard times. While we stay comfortably in our homes, these students struggle with a bleak future and hence, we decided to try and make a change in whatever way we can."
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( With inputs from ANI )
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