Vadodara: Hetalkumar Kothari Can’t see, but he has set an example for others.
Most teachers are grappling with the challenges that come with it online fashion Why teaching? While majority of those working in rural areas, where internet is not yet accessible or smart phones are not owned by many, complain of going to remote areas to conduct physical classes.
But Kothari, a 50-year-old government primary teacher, handles both online and physical classes. He even travels to the homes of students in remote villages to spread the light of knowledge in these dark pandemic times.
Kothari lost his eyesight in 1995 in an accident at a chemical unit. He used to work as a chemist in a unit. AnkleshwarBut blindness forced him to quit his job. But Kothari did not give up hope and tried new things like physiotherapy. He also treated patients for some time before getting a job as a government primary teacher.
Kothari was posted in Khangela village school Dahod in 1999 and has been working there since then. This village is situated on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border. He teaches class three students there. When schools closed due to the outbreak of Covid-19, Kothari along with his other colleagues started online classes as well as ‘Phaliya Shikshan’, where teachers went to clusters of settlements and taught students living there.
The biggest challenge for Kothari was to reach these settlements as they are located on the mounds or in remote areas. “I got help from a colleague who used to take me to ‘Falia’ and drop me back. Smart phones have also made things very easy for us. I extensively use new applications that run on voice commands to teach,” he said.
Kothari said that the villagers have also helped. “They arrange for the little things that we need. They also ensure that the students assemble on time for my class,” he said.
According to Kothari, limited access to smartphones is one of the biggest problems facing tribal students. “Very few people in tribal areas have smartphones. Those who have a smartphone, they travel in connection with work. So in these areas, it is better that you reach out to the homes of the students and opt for the face-to-face method of teaching,” he said.
Most teachers are grappling with the challenges that come with it online fashion Why teaching? While majority of those working in rural areas, where internet is not yet accessible or smart phones are not owned by many, complain of going to remote areas to conduct physical classes.
But Kothari, a 50-year-old government primary teacher, handles both online and physical classes. He even travels to the homes of students in remote villages to spread the light of knowledge in these dark pandemic times.
Kothari lost his eyesight in 1995 in an accident at a chemical unit. He used to work as a chemist in a unit. AnkleshwarBut blindness forced him to quit his job. But Kothari did not give up hope and tried new things like physiotherapy. He also treated patients for some time before getting a job as a government primary teacher.
Kothari was posted in Khangela village school Dahod in 1999 and has been working there since then. This village is situated on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border. He teaches class three students there. When schools closed due to the outbreak of Covid-19, Kothari along with his other colleagues started online classes as well as ‘Phaliya Shikshan’, where teachers went to clusters of settlements and taught students living there.
The biggest challenge for Kothari was to reach these settlements as they are located on the mounds or in remote areas. “I got help from a colleague who used to take me to ‘Falia’ and drop me back. Smart phones have also made things very easy for us. I extensively use new applications that run on voice commands to teach,” he said.
Kothari said that the villagers have also helped. “They arrange for the little things that we need. They also ensure that the students assemble on time for my class,” he said.
According to Kothari, limited access to smartphones is one of the biggest problems facing tribal students. “Very few people in tribal areas have smartphones. Those who have a smartphone, they travel in connection with work. So in these areas, it is better that you reach out to the homes of the students and opt for the face-to-face method of teaching,” he said.
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