LOCKDOWN AND ONLINE SCHOOL EDUCATION- A SURVEY AMONG URBAN MOTHERS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN CHENNAI

Abstract

When Coronavirus, COVID 19 was announced as a pandemic by WHO, the regular activities all over the world got struck.From the lessons learnt from similar infection spreads and also with mathematical modelling, supports the closure of schools as an effective way to decrease the spread of infection . Board exams for twelfth and tenth standard students were first postponed and later cancelled. Since the schools were closed , parents were deeply worried about their children‟s education. Online classes had a good welcome and response among the urban parents, but still the children and most of the educational institutions from rural areas were not able to shift to online education.Most of the urban parents were concerned not only on the education but also about their children‟s daily routines(Bao, 2020). When the children are left without work, especially the secondary school children, their total habits get disturbed.The aim of this survey is to analyse the opinion of urban mothers on the online education provided by their children‟s school.This was a questionnaire-based study using an online survey portal called “survey planet.” An e-form was circulated among 202 uraban mothers from Chennai, who had kids who went for secondary school education. . The data were collected during July 2020.All the responses obtained were tabulated and reliability of the data was checked. The data was statistically analysed.When asked about how they felt due to the closure of their children‟s school, about 83.3% of the participants felt anxious and depressed, they were clueless on how their children's education is going to be. When the question on how they felt when their school announced online education, the participants had mixed opinions. 50% of them felt happy and relieved since their anxiety has been put to an end. But the other 50% of the participants were still worried since they were still not convinced with online education. 50% of the participants feel that their children find the online classes as monotonous and unlively and another 50% of the participants think that their children don‟t like the online classes due to the lack of peers.It is the teamwork of teachers, students and their parents which will make this online education a success.