Devoid of smartphones, 231 students of a Chandigarh govt school unable to access online classes

Bhawna, a student of standard XII at Government School, Dhanas, has been living with her grandfather (80) since her parents passed away, when she was five-years-old. Her grandfather, now 80, makes a living by selling vegetables on a rehri. Barely able to make ends meet, he cannot afford to buy a smartphone.

Devoid of any device to access online education, Bhawna has not been able to attend any classes since the lockdown was announced. She manages to get homework from her friend and grapples with the subjects all by herself.

It is not just Bhawna, but scores of students have not been able to access online education as they are unable to afford smartphones. However, the government is yet to take note of the issue and do anything to resolve it.