Siliguri-based voluntary body starts classes for students who are unable to buy devices for online lessons

By Tarak Sarkar
Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], July 20 (ANI): Amidst the pandemic where students are facing problems with schools being closed due to coronavirus pandemic, a Siliguri-based voluntary organisation 'Unique foundation' came forward to help those students who cannot afford to access online classes due to lack of electronic devices.
Under the initiative, organisation took to teaching some students under the open sky at the Porachar area near Siliguri. Presently, around 36 students of different age groups are attending classes there.
According to the members of the organization, they felt the necessity of providing education to the students who belong to the economically weaker sections since they are unable to attend classes due to the pandemic situation.

Biswajit Roy, a teacher with the Bidyachaya wing of the foundation said, "The students are from government schools and do not have online classes. Hence, they are not attached with the mainstream education and were forgetting their lessons."
"We planned to set up 'Free' afternoon and evening classes for them to create an atmosphere to help them get attached to the books. Now many students from different ages are coming to the class and the number is increasing day by day," he added.
Further, Roy said, "We are not running activity-based classes for the students. In the near future, we are planning to increase the classes at atleast ten more places in Siliguri."
Durba Chatterjee, another teacher of Bidyachaya said, "We have around 36 students and are teaching all from pre-nursery to class 5. The students are happy with the class and even the parents are satisfied with the initiative."
Nirmala Mandal, a student of the class said, "My school has been closed for a long time but this class is so nice. I enjoy it a lot here."
Nibedita Mandal, guardian of a student said, "Due to coronavirus, my daughter's school has been closed for the last one and half years. She forgot her lessons. It's a great initiative taken by the organization. It is much more than the private tuition." (ANI)