No smartphones, no problem! These underprivileged children have a cop as a their teacher

KEY STORY

• New Delhi: The education of millions of underprivileged children has come to a complete or partial halt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

• As many children living in slums, villages, and backward cannot afford smartphones and laptops to attend online classes, they have not been able to stay on track in the current academic year.

• But now, the efforts of many organisations are now enabling underprivileged children in attending online classes.

• Then there are people like Than Singh, who take upon themselves to single-handedly provide education to children in such times of crisis.

• Singh, who is a constable with Delhi Police, has been teaching underprivileged children, who cannot afford online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The classes, which were being run from the Sai Temple at Red Fort parking, were initially closed during the start of the nationwide lockdown. But as the students could not afford smartphones or laptops to attend online classes, Singh decided to resume teaching physically.

“I have been running this school for a long time but during the start of the pandemic, I closed it for children’s safety. But, when I saw many students were not able to take online classes, I decided to restart my school because they don’t have things like phone and computers,” Singh told ANI.

CONCLUSION

Most of Singh’s students are children of labourers residing in the area nearby. Singh said the classes are being run by following the protocols issued by the health ministry.

“I am also providing them sanitisers, masks and we practice social distancing in our class,” said Singh.

In Bangalore, a Sub-Inspector has earned a lot of praise for teaching a group of migrant workers’ children every day before reporting to duty.