by Umar Khurshid
SRINAGAR: As the University of Kashmir has resorted to online classes following the Covid-19 lockdown, tens of thousands of students are glued to computers and Smartphone screens as teachers take to online apps for lectures. But of-late many students, parents and teachers have come forward complaining about the internet blackout interrupting their online sessions.
A group of Postgraduate students from Srinagar said that 2G internet facilities in the valley have created hurdles in joining the classes. They said students understand the circumstances but what matters in the end is what students write in the examinations. “After the examination, no student can stand with the excuse that there was an internet interruption,” a PG student from Srinagar said.
A bunch of students from south Kashmir’s Pulwama said that their district witnesses anti-insurgency incidents on and off and attending online classes is a dream for them. “From the day order was passed- asking students to attend online, I have managed to attend few of the classes,” said a female PG student from Pulwama who admitted in the varsity last year and is yet to finish her first semester. “Whom should I blame in the end, university or the government,” she asked. She believes that it’s ultimately a student who has to appear in the examination and do justice with studies.
Many parents, students and teachers belonging to different areas said that authorities are putting their careers on stake by asking students to attend online classes without proper internet facilities. “It’s a sheer discrimination comparing our students to students studying in other parts of the world,” said a parent from Anantnag whose son pursues PG in the varsity.
A student from Baramulla said that it takes hours for them to connect with the lecture and that Zoom calls and video calls are next to impossible. He believes that this is in stark contrast to other parts of the country where schools and colleges have been aided by innovative teaching platforms.
“Attending classes on 2G speeds seems a joke to me. Most of the times either the connection snaps or works at such slow speed that it is impossible for students to understand what is going on in the classes,” said another student from Kulgam who believes that e-learning is a good initiative but holding examination on the basis of online classes is injustice with the students.
Meanwhile, a senior member from Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU) said that from past one month union have received a bundle of complaints from the students. He said few of the students while sharing their grief said that recent decisions taken by KU about online classes seems redundant as internet remains suspended in Kashmir no matter what reasons are behind. According to him, students also allege that lectures delivered online are not up to the mark and assigning assignments would have been the better decision instead.
He said on behalf of the students, union urges KU administration to understand the prevailing situation and take a genuine decision in the larger interest of the students. The KUSU member said that students are of the opinion that administration should promote them into next semesters by following the UGC guidelines indicating promotion of intermediate semesters.
“UGC guidelines indicating the promotion of intermediate semesters needs an immediate response from the authorities,” he said adding that student community of Kashmir has suffered badly since August 2019.
