With educational institutions resorting to online teaching amid the COVID-19 crisis, teachers are now refusing to conduct such classes due to ‘bullying’ by parents of the students.
Teachers have alleged that they are under unbearable pressure, with parents constantly complaining about the poor quality of teaching, spelling mistakes, improper pronunciation, harsh tone of voice, lack of warmth towards children etc., Deccan Herald reported.
In Karnataka, teachers of various renowned private schools have refused to conduct online classes any longer. Taking serious note of the complaints, school managements are talking to parents.
‘Several such cases of parents bullying teachers online have come to our notice. It is unacceptable. The online method of teaching is just a cosmetic solution and none of us recommend it as a permanent one,’ Deccan Herald quoted D Shashikumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools, Karnataka, as saying.
Psychologists and top professionals are helping teachers cope with the issues.
Dr Annapoorna, a psychologist, said that it is difficult for teachers to teach in front of a camera because they are trained to handle children in a classroom environment. She say that by way of learning, everyone must learn to adapt to the new challenged posed by the COVID-19 crisis.
One cannot just point fingers at teachers,’ said Dr Annapoorna.
‘Some of the teachers who train kids for IIT, NEET exams may not pronounce well, but they are good at teaching the concepts. Sometimes while teaching kids at home, parents themselves lose patience. That being the condition, how can we expect teachers to be normal, especially when they are interacting with kids in a new medium?’ asked a retired vice-chancellor.
A teacher at a prominent CBSE/ICSE school in Mysore claimed that holding a child’s concentration in a classroom is always easier that doing the same in a virtual world. She said that in the environment of their homes, children refuse to listen.
Teaching online is stressful and takes a toll on our mental health,’ the teacher said.
