Around 70 children were provided with pen, pencil, eraser, crayon and other study materials in Thiwa (Theiva) on Wednesday with an aim to inculcate the habit of reading and learning
TFM News Service
Schools have been completely closed for almost an entire year due to Covid-19 pandemic. It has hit school going children hard. They cannot access in-person schooling and those in marginalized sections are falling further behind. Dropout rates are likely to rise as a result.
With an aim to inculcate the habit of reading and learning, the Masotmi Nimmi Michael Foundation (MNM Foundation) visited Thiwa (Theiva) and Kachai and distributed study materials and play materials.
Director of MNM Foundation Thotmahai Raingam stated that “educational needs cannot be forgotten and these will have a detrimental impact if left unaddressed. Interruptions of schoolchildren in their studies can have long term implications, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalised.”
Those parents who cannot send their children to other places or cannot afford to provide smartphones for online classes are paying the heaviest price due to lockdown. Around 70 children were provided with pen, pencil, eraser, crayon and other study materials in Thiwa (Theiva) on Wednesday.
At Kachai, the Thotchan Hostel is a home to 57 students from neighbouring villages of Khongdei Ngawar, Thiwa, Tingsong, Kachai Thikhor and Lamyim Phungdhar. Three full time teachers are being engaged by Kachai Baptist Church for home tutoring the students. The children cook themselves in the kitchen made and provided by the Church. During the visit, the MNM Foundation provided play materials like carom, chess, scribbles, chinese checkers, study materials and geometry boxes and other essential items like rice, dal and salt.
School is a place for children where they can interact with their peers, seek support and a nutritious meal. The longer schools remain closed, the longer children are likely to cut off from these critical elements of childhood. Children coming from poor economic backgrounds and from remote areas are likely to be the most affected one.