Raipur: The coronavirus pandemic may have pushed schools, higher education institutions and training providers on the Internet to ensure the continuation of an effective learning procedure but what about those who aren’t able to access the online education.   

IPS officer Suraj Singh Parihar has come to the rescue of hundreds of children belonging to low income groups, who do not have laptops and smartphone screens at home. Contributing to a social cause and bridging the growing educational gap between the haves and the have-nots, Parihar, being the first Superintendent of Police, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district in Chhattisgarh, introduced ‘Police ki Pathshala’ to engage children in studies in April 2020 when the Covid-19 induced lockdown was put in place nationwide.

Since then a large number of children have been benefited by the 'Police Ki Pathshala,’ which improvises free coaching classes for children belonging to lower income backgrounds. These classes are conducted by the local police and include teaching rhymes, alphabet, counting, colouring to identification of different parts of a human body.

Apart from imparting education, the police also provide food to the children in order to engage them in studies. They have also been sensitised about the necessary precautions to be taken in the wake of the pandemic. Some parents were initially not willing to allow police to send their children to these pathshalas but later, even they were taught numericals.

There was never a fixed time for these classes but they mostly began from 5 pm to 6 pm onwards. The children were allowed to attend the classes wearing masks given to them while also adhering to social distancing norms. In some places, commutation facilities are also being offered to the children for coming to these centres.

To make these classes interactive and ensure ease of learning, smart classes have been established in some centres where students are shown video lectures based on their curriculum. Children here are also motivated for various competitive examinations including the Union Public Service Commission and  state civil services.

Through social media, Parihar has appealed to the people to donate books of various subjects. Today, hundreds of children are enrolled in such classes in various states across the country, thereby bringing a significant change in their future irrespective of the woes of the pandemic. /BI/