Punjab govt extends winter break till Lohri, schools move online, ETEducation
Ludhiana: The Punjab govt has extended winter school holidays until Jan 13 as a punishing cold wave and dense fog continue to blanket the region, prompting state-run schools to pivot to online learning to maintain the academic calendar.
The directive, issued by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, applies to all govt, aided, and private schools, which are now scheduled to reopen on Jan 14. However, the transition to digital classrooms is exposing a significant “digital divide” within the state’s education system.
The Digital Divide
While private institutions have transitioned seamlessly to remote learning, government school students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds face mounting hurdles. Key challenges include hardware shortages, parental availability, and connectivity issues.
Many families lack dedicated smartphones or laptops for their children. Many students rely on their parents’ phones; however, parents working as day labourers are often away from home until late evening, making daytime classes impossible. Unreliable internet access in rural areas remains a barrier to real-time engagement.
Pardeep Sharma, principal of Govt Senior Secondary Smart School, PAU, said: “We plan to start online classes as soon as possible. While many students use their parents’ devices, we are planning alternatives for those who have no access at all.”
Scheduling Conflicts and Content Hurdles
The shift is further complicated by the ongoing National School Games. A significant number of principals and teachers have been deployed for tournament duties between 10 am and 5 pm, directly clashing with standard school hours. Kamaljit, principal of PM Shri Govt Senior Secondary School, suggested that schools might move classes to the evening to accommodate both the sports schedule and students who must wait for their parents to return with a smartphone.
Students have also expressed pedagogical concerns. While language subjects like Hindi and Punjabi are manageable online, many report that technical subjects and mathematics are significantly harder to grasp through a screen.
Official Silence
Despite the logistical challenges facing thousands of students, district education officer Dimple Madaan was unavailable for comment regarding the govt’s plan to bridge the resource gap for underprivileged learners.
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