Although first grader Riya Moni was never fond of getting up early and going to school every day, she did not enjoy spending her days at home at all either when the pandemic forced a shutdown of schools.
However, she now eagerly waits to meet her teachers and friends in online classes at the Bangladesh Digital School (BDS).
As soon as the teacher greets the students, the bunch of little angels respond with huge enthusiasm. Before the class starts, they perform some forms of physical exercises.
Riya’s parents enrolled her at the Bangladesh Digital School in August last year. Since then, she has been attending online classes three days a week.
The 40-minute classes include interactive videos, charts, colourful diagrams and solving problems with the help of teachers.
Developed by Jaago Foundation, Bangladesh Digital School is an online education platform which provides after-school learning support absolutely free of charge.
It has been running on the foundation’s Facebook page since March 23 last year soon after the government ordered a closure of all educational institutions across the country. Parents just have to click on a link on the Facebook page to enroll their children
The school, now in operations with students from grade one to eight, currently has nine teachers and 400 registered students from all over Bangladesh. Every class has 25-30 students.
"After the lockdown in March last year, I started to watch Sangsad Television as it broadcast lessons for students. But I did not understand mathematics. Four months later my father told me about the Bangladesh Digital School. Now I am having a lot of fun learning math [from the BDS teachers]," says Atrima Gain, a sixth grader of BN School and College in Mongla.
Her mother Monika Roy, a schoolteacher by profession, told Dhaka Tribune that her daughter was happily studying on that platform as an after-school support.
The school also organizes an online parent-teacher meeting every three months.
The authorities said they were thinking of starting classes from 2pm till 6pm so that students could join them after the resumption of school.
Sadia Rahman Sangeeta, a teacher and moderator of BDS, said: "We provide education as per government guidelines. We are solving the problems of students through examinations by following an ideal structure. Whenever I see my students all prepared with their pens and paper for learning new things every day on this new platform, I feel so happy and proud."
In 2011, Jaago Foundation started its Digital Schooling Project in remote places of the country, such as Meghla in Bandarban, Teknaf, tea estate of Habiganj and so on.
The initiative was awarded by Unesco in 2017 with the King Hamad Prize in ICT in education.
In 2020, the pandemic struck the education system. In the circumstances, the foundation launched its new program, BDS, with infrastructure for online or distance learning in place.
'Learning should be fun'
BDS Program Manager Md Kamrul Kibria Ayon said: "We believe learning should be fun because it is not about grades or marks only but also about growing up to be good human beings.
"In the education sector, the biggest lesson we have taught during the lockdown is about the digitalization of our system to keep ourselves prepared for tomorrow's world. And Bangladesh Digital School is the pioneer in adapting to this goal and providing you with a fully digitalized learning platform so that the education of your children is not disrupted under any circumstances," he added.
The school is planning to incorporate the ninth and tenth graders within June. There is also a plan to start learning support for university admission tests and job exams as well next year.
Ayon said: "At present, almost 50-52% of the population of the country have access to mobiles, computers and other devices to participate in online video conferences. And Bangladesh has 100% coverage for 3G internet networks. Thus, BDS is reaching out to students across the nation."
And even if the students are unable to take part in live classes on Zoom or Google Classroom, he said, the classes are recorded and the videos are uploaded on Google from where they can download the recordings.
To reach more people and more students, the BDS team is planning to build a partnership with Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and mobile phone operators of the country.
