Roshi, is facing what most of the children in this country consider one of the most important years of their life: 10th class. However, the pandemic has put her education and that of thousands of children in jeopardy. “I thought that the lockdown would not last more than a week. I left most of my books and clothes at school,” explains Roshi, who is studying at one of RDT’s high schools.

As the elder daughter in a family of four, she is helping her parents, both of whom have disabilities, to make a living during these tough times. Since schools and colleges closed, many educational institutions have adopted technology-based solutions for remote learning, but online learning is not feasible when children do not have access to the right tools. It is especially hard for children with disabilities in rural areas. RDT high schools started online classes for the students in July 2020.

“During the lockdown, we worked towards upgrading the skills of our teachers in braille and sign language as well as improving their knowledge of online teaching techniques and the software,” explains Dasarath, Director of Disability Inclusive Development sector. Although crucial, this work means little when students cannot even get to class.

“Not all students attend regularly. Some families don’t have a smartphone and those who do share one among all members, so when the parents need it for work, the student cannot attend. For many, the cost of data recharge is expensive, too. We are working hard to ensure that our students do not miss out on classes but sometimes we feel helpless,” explains Balaji R., who is a Mathematics teacher at RDT Inclusive High School.

Roshi is well aware of the challenges: “Even with the smartphone it becomes difficult to follow the classes because my father keeps getting calls. Sometime, the network is poor and the teacher’s voice breaks. There is always some sort of interruption.” This situation is even more challenging when working to ensure access to education for children with disabilities, because they need special software such as talk-back programs for the visually impaired.

“The phone screen is quite small and so it is difficult for me to read and understand the notes that the teachers share,” expresses Ananad, a student with low vision also studying at RDT Inclusive School. For students with hearing and speech impairment who use sign language, bigger screens are important to help them learn. “I like learning new concepts, but it is taxing for me to follow the signs used by the teacher because sometimes the poor network disrupts the video,” says Srikanya, who studies at RDT High School for Hearing Impaired Children. Srikanya and her brother, Daveed both have hearing loss. Their family owns only one smartphone, something that has created some tension in the family, as Daveed explains. “I felt very happy living in school. But now, at home, my sister uses the phone for her classes because of which I have to miss mine. I wish I had my own device. When I grow big, I am going to buy one for myself.”

“We are going through a tough time and I am worried about my son´s future, but we give priority to Srikanya as she is older. We are daily wagers. We can barely manage to provide them with 3 meals per day. How can we afford another phone?” sighs Kullayama, their mother. In Srikanya and Daveed’s case, Srikanya was prioritized because of her age but for others, different factors are involved. “Sometimes, biases come into play when the family is large, when one of kids is disabled then parents tend to give that child least preference in terms of providing assistance in their education. Since the classes are online now, in most cases, the disabled kids do not get a chance to attend classes,” says Yugendher, Assistant technical director of the Disability Inclusive Development sector. Due to concern about the situation of students with and without disabilities and in light of poor attendance despite offering online classes, the organization has made a decision: to provide 415 students enrolled in our institutions with a tablet, headphones, SIM card and data for a year along with software installation and training so that they can continue their education during this pandemic.

“Every day a child cannot attend their class, it is a step back for them, their family and for their country,” remarks Dasarath. Roshi, at her young age, already knows this. “My dream is to become a district collector and provide decent housing for the homeless and build an orphanage but I can only achieve my goal if I can continue with my education. My parents do not know how to read or write. I want something different for my future and I know they want it, too,” she declares, beaming. Education is a basic right of every child, but we can only ensure it if we work together. Join us to help children like Anand, Roshi, Srikanya and Daveed achieve their dreams by helping them to go back to school – the online way.

Text: Aina Valldaura and Tahiya Tarannum, adapted by Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA   Photographs: Felita Viegas and Aina Valldaura