Split verdict on ‘virtual school’

New Delhi: Private schools here have mixed views about the Delhi Model Virtual School launched on Wednesday with some hoping it would increase access to education while others worried it would spur coaching culture and limit chances of developing social skills. CM Arvind Kejriwal launched the "country's first virtual school" the Delhi Model Virtual School (DMVS) and said students from across India will be eligible for admission. Affiliated to Delhi Board of School Education, the school is for classes 9 to 12. The National Progressive Schools' Conference (NPSC), a body of over 120 private schools in Delhi, said that virtual schools will "hand over school education to coaching centres on a platter".

"A school is not a place to achieve only cognitive competency. It is a happy space where socio-emotional wellbeing is also taken care of. Children acquire life skills like collaboration, empathy, problem-solving and media literacy which are important to succeed in life. We have a huge digital divide in our country. During the pandemic many children were deprived of classroom teaching," NPS Chairman Sudha Acharya told PTI. She said that children are already leaving school after class 10 due to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) with many having joined coaching and dummy schools. According to Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal of DPS, Rajnagar Extension, the flipside is that the attention span of students in an online class is shorter than in offline classes. "The concentration level is also quite low. Children complain of fatigue and exhibit listlessness... Online learning has been and will be a challenge for those who cannot afford laptops or smartphones. It would be quite interesting to see how the government bridges the gap between affordability and opportunity for this section of the society," she said. Anshu Mital, Principal, MRG School, Rohini, said the virtual school will be helpful for students who cannot get enrolled in traditional schools and attend physical classes due to lack of time, familial responsibilities, long-distance travelling or any other hindrance.