Online classes stressing pupils' eyes; Karnataka government acts

Due to the online classes, multiple cases of students complaining of eye problems are getting registered; the Karnataka government has awakened up to the education panel's report on online classes that were submitted in July 2020.

On Wednesday, S Suresh Kumar, Primary and Secondary Education Minister has instructed the Commissioner of Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to instantly issue detailed circular listing steps that can be taken to restrain the problem and formulate guidelines.

The Minister stated in the letter, "It is being reported in the media that students have been facing eye-related problems as a result of online classes being held across the State. Hence, it is directed to issue a detailed circular on modalities of conducting online classes based on the expert committee report."

As per the report, each live online class cannot exceed a maximum of 30 minutes until grade 5 and 30-45 minutes until grade 10.

Professional guidelines for online classes

♦ Pre-primary classes, i.e., aged between 3-6 years can have three classes in a week (one class per day)

♦ Grades 1-2 two classes per day (three days in a week)

♦ Grades 3-5 two classes per day (five days a week)

♦ Grades 6-8 three classes per day (five days a week)

♦ Grades 9-10 four classes per day (five days a week)

♦ The classes need to be a more interactive based methodology.

Professionals have also mentioned that for pre-primary to grade 2, the content needs to be filled with play, stories, rhymes, and other creative activities and in grades 3-5, the content needs to be 25% curricular and the remaining co-curricular.

From grades 6-8, both curricular and extracurricular should have balanced weightage, and in 9-10, there should be 75% curricular and the rest 25% co-curricular.