Madurai school’s novel idea, offers free smartphones to new students

Online classes have become the order of the day due to Covid-19 induced lockdown, but not many, especially those studying in government and aided schools, can afford to spend the extra bucks to buy a smartphone.

To take the burden off from parents and to encourage students, teachers of a government-aided school in Madurai have pooled in resources to buy 50 smartphones to “gift” to students who join the sixth standard.

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As advertisements of the “irresistible offer” went viral on the social media, 12 students mostly from the underprivileged sections of the society got admitted at the Thiagarajar Higher Secondary School in Vasantha Nagar in Madurai, 465 km from here, on Friday.

The school, which began functioning in 1969 and is one of the oldest government-aided institutions in the temple town, expects to fill the remaining 38 seats on Monday and launch online classes from the first week of September.

Admission for sixth and 11th standard in the school began in mid-August and that is when the idea of providing smartphones to students joining in the sixth standard hit S V Ramanathan, the headmaster, who also won the best teacher award of the state government last year.

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“We found many students who approached us neither had smartphones nor could afford them. I called my teachers and proposed the idea of pooling in money to buy smartphones and give them to students during admission. The teachers readily accepted, and we bought 50 smartphones. This way, we are also encouraging students to take up Tamil medium,” Ramanathan told DH.

Ten teachers, including the headmaster, and three office-bearers have spent nearly 1.3 lakh for buying the smartphones and recharge vouchers for using them.

“We chose for a smartphone that will support applications like WhatsApp, YouTube and a browser so that children can watch the state government’s television channel dedicated for education and one piece came around Rs 2,400. We also recharge the connection so that the burden does not fall on parents,” Ramanathan added.

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The response from parents is “overwhelming”, the headmaster said, expressing regret for not having come out with the idea in mid-August when the admissions began. Ramanathan said providing smartphones to students will help teachers to give them homework and follow up on their studies.

“We have been taking online classes for students from 7th to 10th standard and for those in plus-two. Though the lessons are taught through the Kalvi TV, teachers send homework to students via WhatsApp and get them corrected. The new smartphones will help children who join our school from 6th standard to attend online classes and not miss out,” he added.