A topic that resonates with parents with kids of all ages. We are entering the 7th month of the year- but the uncertainty about the remaining year continues. Summer holidays are over but the children are still at home. They haven’t stepped out during their vacation- not travelled anywhere or even visited a nearby park. Everything around the littles ones is changing and the biggest change in them all is their education.
Schools have resumed the online classes and kids meet each other and their favourite teachers through tiny boxes on Zoom or Google Meet. Uploading assignments and asking their doubts through chats have become the in-thing today. Amidst all this- there are Government guidelines that propose a ban on the online mode of learning. Is that the right way forward? Should you be paying fees to your child’s school for the months you are having them at home? Should I be worried about their screen time? Are you thinking of homeschooling your child?
We know you have all these running through your mind. We put together the questions we all had together and set up a stellar panel to discuss this topic. Many thanks to
- Swati Popat Vats- President Podar Education Network & Early Childhood Education
- Fatema Agarkar- Founder ACE Sports Edu
- Dr Samir Dalwai- Developmental Paediatrician & Founder- New Horizons Child Development Center
- Mansi Zaveri- Founder, Kidsstoppress.com
for coming together for an insightful panel discussion on the topic- Redefining Classrooms: Is Online Education A Boon Or A Bane?
Here are some of the pointers we discussed:
- Dr Swati Popat Vats nailed it when she said how online education isn’t the object of contention but the ‘ban’ is the real ‘bane’!
- Dr Samir Dalwai drove home the point that the COVID19 situation has led to many innovations in the education sector and we must credit the schools for helping children with seamless learning. Regarding screen time he reiterated that screentime for entertainment continues to be the bigger evil than when for useful educational purposes.
- Fatema Agarkar drove home the point that blended learning has been followed for many years now and this is not a new concept. We must focus on the fitness and well being of the child during these tough times and innovate each day as this is a continual learning process, she said.
- Moderator Mansi Zaveri raised the question on what kids actually want during a tough time like this amidst all the govt guidelines, rules and school notices.
On popular request- here is the complete video- make sure you watch it and share it with a fellow parent. This is a topic that needs to be discussed.
Parul Gupta
Mansi Zaveri
Kanishka Pariani
Rati Ramadas Girish
