Barak Valley is all set to start classes through radio to minimise academic loss because of the nationwide lockdown.

To reach out to maximum students, the education departments of Hailakandi and Cachar districts, in collaboration with the Silchar’s All India Radio, will start audio classes from Sunday.

The educational broadcast will enable students to learn through the medium of radio while sitting in their homes and the idea behind the initiative is to engage the students and to reach out to them while they are confined to their homes, said inspector of schools, Hailakandi, Rajiv Kumar Jha.

Jha said the radio classes have been initiated on the instruction of the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba), for students not having access to Internet facility or smartphones.

Five teachers from Hailakandi have been selected for the purpose, the official said.

The teachers from Hailakandi and Cachar districts will be delivering lessons as per the curriculum and the same will reach students of Classes IX and X through radio from Monday to Friday.

The lessons will be aired on the All India Radio, Silchar, during daytime for which time slots have already been specified by the station, Jha said.

Recorded lectures of government schoolteachers will be relayed and students can listen to them.

The Seba had already started ICT-enabled distance learning programme (DLP) covering the syllabus of secondary classes.

A large number of students have been connected through ICT-enabled DLP platform, thus creating virtual classes.

Jha said these platforms have been kept available for children so that they do not feel isolated and can continue with their studies while staying at home.

He said the Seba is exploring all options to reach out to students online and offline to minimise the academic loss.

Altogether 98 high, higher secondary schools and madarsas of Hailakandi district under Seba are now getting their lectures online through ICT-enabled DLP.