New Delhi – The return of Delhi online classes has exposed a widening digital divide, leaving thousands of students from low-income families struggling to access basic education. Following the Delhi government’s directive on December 13 for schools to shift entirely online for students up to Class 5 due to pollution concerns, parents and children across the capital are grappling with connectivity issues, inadequate resources, and inconsistent teaching that threatens their educational progress during crucial foundational years.
Father Abandons Work to Enable Daughter’s Education
Prem Singh, a social worker, was forced to abandon an official trip and rush back home from Bihar after the announcement about Delhi online classes. His is the only phone number registered with the government senior secondary school where his daughter studies in Class 3. Now, the father and daughter have established a new daily routine—every morning, they walk 500 meters to a relative’s house in west Delhi’s Basai Darapur which has an internet connection, as their own home lacks Wi-Fi.
Seven-Year-Old’s Classroom Shrinks to Phone Screen
From sitting in a classroom with fellow students, seven-year-old Pranshi’s school day has transformed into attending Delhi online classes over a six-by-six-inch screen via a link sent by the school. The transition has been far from smooth. “Sometimes, the teacher doesn’t show up for classes and then time is wasted,” Singh said, explaining that all his efforts feel futile when sessions are cancelled. When asked what she misses most about school, Pranshi simply replied: “I can’t meet my friends Ayushi and Pratima.”
Poor Connectivity Prevents Class Attendance
In west Delhi’s Sudhamapuri, 25-year-old Soni Devi faces a different challenge with Delhi online classes. Her six-year-old daughter Bani, a Class 1 student at a Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, cannot attend classes because of poor internet connectivity. Devi’s phone only has a 4G connection, which she says is insufficient. Her husband Rajeev Kumar, who works at a steel factory in Moti Nagar earning ₹12,000 monthly, refuses to upgrade to 5G. “He doesn’t want to spend on our daughter’s education. I forced him to put her in school,” Devi explained.
Fire Victim Struggles Without Study Materials
The situation is particularly harsh for eight-year-old Ramzan Sheikh, who attends a Municipal Corporation of Delhi school in Rohini’s Sector 5. His house burned down in a fire at the Rithala slum on November 7, destroying all his belongings. “I lost all my books in the fire,” he said. While teachers provided some old books and pens, he still lacks English and Maths textbooks for self-study alongside Delhi online classes. He attends lessons on his father’s phone—a trash collector—but often misses sessions because class messages arrive in Hindi while his Bengali-speaking parents cannot understand them.
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Complete Absence of Teacher Interaction
Some students report that Delhi online classes have meant virtually no real teaching. Charu Akriya, a Class 5 student at an MCD school in Karol Bagh, says her teacher hasn’t interacted with students at all. “We have been having online classes for more than a week now, but do not have any calls or interactions with our teacher. He sends us a photo of some worksheets in the morning, asks us to solve them, and send them back to him. He does not give us any feedback,” the 10-year-old explained. Her father works as a helper in a plywood factory earning ₹10,000 monthly.
Single-Phone Households Miss Classes
Thirty-year-old Archana Dev faces the challenge of owning just one phone in her household. “I have to take it with me to work, meaning my son has been missing his classes. It is anyway difficult for him to pay attention to studies at home, and this is further impacting his studies,” she said. Her eight-year-old son is a Class 3 student at an MCD school in Keshavpuram, representing countless children falling behind during foundational learning years.
Private Schools Experience Smooth Transition
By contrast, students in private schools find Delhi online classes an easy adjustment after the COVID-19 pandemic experience. Twelve-year-old Aarna Shukla, who studies at Dwarka’s Bal Bharti School, sees little difference from physical lessons. “We use the ‘raise hand’ symbol in the online classes whenever we have to ask questions and the teacher answers everyone one-by-one. My classes are from 9 am to 2 pm, including a 20-minute lunch break,” she explained, noting that teachers conduct activities like yoga, dance, and singing to maintain engagement.
Experts Identify Long-Term Solution Needs
The shift to Delhi online classes amid pollution curbs exposes a deep digital divide tying daily education to access to devices, data, and stable internet connections. “The issue which has led to the classes going completely online is a temporary and seasonal concern. The digital divide that exists within the government set-up at both ends—the teachers and the students—will need a long term solution like ensuring sufficient access to digital tools,” said Sayantan Mandal, associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Zakir Hussain Centre for Educational Studies.
Government Response Inadequate
MCD did not respond to queries about tracking the effectiveness of Delhi online classes or providing devices and network connections to children from economically weaker backgrounds. Education Minister Ashish Sood stated: “We are ensuring the classes run smoothly in the online mode. Other than that, we have not received any complaints regarding these issue with the internet connectivity in the school.” This response suggests a disconnect between ground realities and official awareness.
The challenges exposed by Delhi online classes demonstrate that children from low-income households face multitude barriers in accessing education and risk falling further behind during crucial foundational years.
