Less than half students join online classes

Collected

Jahangirnagar University has started online classes from 12 July. An assistant professor in the university's Department of Journalism and Media Studies said he was taking classes online using the Zoom app. He said, in class for first year, 22 out of 40 students took part in the class. Of these, 10 students in this class do not have the device for joining classes online. Only 32 out of 44 students were taking the classes in third year while 20 out of 28 students were present at the post-graduation classes. The students use mobile phone or laptop to join the online classes.

This is more or less the case with online classes in government and autonomous universities. About half of the students in different departments are not participating in online classes.

This Prothom Alo correspondent found that at least 10 universities are taking classes online using the Zoom app. According to the teachers and students, apart from the issue of device and internet cost, many students in remote areas are also having problems with internet connection.

All universities have been closed since 17 March due to coronavirus outbreak in the country. It is not certain when these institutions will open again. In this situation, a meeting of the universities with the University Grants Commission (UGC) on 25 June decided to take online classes. Online classes have officially started at most universities since last month. However, some universities including Chittagong University and Begum Rokeya University have not yet started online classes.

The UGC has requested the universities to provide the exact list of students who do not have the financial means to purchase the device to the UGC by 25 August. Professor Dil Afroza Begum, a member of the UGC in charge of online classes, told Prothom Alo that the two universities had given the list of students who cannot afford devices to take part in online classes. Apart from this, discussions are also underway to make the internet cost for students easily available.

Rate of attendance

It was learned that 20 to 22 out of 40 students in a class in the Department of Communication Disorders of Dhaka University used to take part before Eid. After Eid, now about 27 students join the classes. But many are disconnected due to internet problems. Alternatively, class lectures are sent to students by e-mail.

At least half of the students at Rajshahi University attend online classes, said a Rajshahi University correspondent of Prothom Alo. More than 50 per cent attended online classes in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet. However, there are more in some sections.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj has started online classes in 28 out of 34 departments. Apart from the architecture department, 40 to 50 per cent are present in the rest. The architecture department has higher attendance.

Harun Aur Rashid, a third-year student in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Jahangirnagar University (JU), spoke about some of the reasons why so many students are not able to take part in online classes. His home is in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari district. He was at home in the village as the university was closed. His smart phone recently broke which is why he was not able to participate in online classes regularly.

Ujjwal Kumar Mandal, an assistant professor in the same department of JU, said that those who are unable to attend online classes do not have the equipment to take classes online, but many of them cannot afford to pay for the internet. He said there must be arrangements for those who do not have the device or the ability to buy internet data, if online classes are fully effective.

Online classes start at BUET

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has also started online classes since last Saturday after formulating the policy. Based on the information from the first two days, professor Mizanur Rahman, director of BUET's Student Welfare Directorate, told Prothom Alo that 70-100 per cent students are participating in classes in their schools.

It is learned that BUET authorities are providing those teachers with logistics who do not have them to participate in the online classes. The underprivileged students are provided with interest free loans from the funds of the concerned residential halls to buy the devices.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat