Soha Brahma and her mother who live in New Town get into “fights” over a phone and using its data to stay connected.

Poor Net connectivity (broadband or mobile network) in the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan have affected online lessons of the Class X student of DPS Newtown.

“Initially, for two weeks, I could not attend any class. My friends faced the same problem. Even the teachers could not make it. Now, we are all trying to make the best of the worst situation,” said Soha, who looks forward to hospitality and sports training online besides regular classes.

They are not the only ones. Schoolchildren in the city are trying hard to attend online classes after the cyclone by using their family members’ and, at times, even neighbours’ mobile data.

Connectivity has improved in several parts of the city but many areas, especially on the outskirts, still have erratic network coverage.

“I am at present using my grandfather’s mobile phone. I still don’t have Wi-Fi at home and have missed out on some of my favourite science lessons. I had been looking forward to the one on Elements and Compounds. When classes are on, I at times have to disconnect important calls meant for my grandfather. It’s all a mess now,” Risav Banerjee, a Class VII student of St Xavier’s Institution Panihati, said.

School secretary Dyutiman Banerjee said 15 per cent of students still could not connect for any lessons.

Many schools had to abort their special classes and events after the cyclone, largely because of the Net connectivity issues.

“Our special prayer session came to an abrupt halt after 18 minutes on May 30. We could not continue with it,” said St Augustine’s Day School principal Richard Gasper.

Manash Das, a student of the school, said he had access to three Internet sources at home. “I juggle between them but often the signal is weak for all three. The Wi-Fi has not been available for a long time now,” the Class VII student said.

Teachers, too, are making an extra effort to stay connected. “Mobile hotspots are popular among students and teachers. We see our students going the extra mile to stay connected and draw inspiration from them. I have seen students sharing data connection with their neighbours. Some of our teachers are holding classes from their friends or neighbours’ houses that have better connectivity,” said DPS Newtown headmistress Rahi Mukhopadhyay.

A resident of the Kasba area, Mukhopadhay had to reschedule some of her classes because of connectivity issues. “We sometimes reschedule our classes in the evening, after 5, when the connectivity is slightly better,” she said.

Substitute teachers have stepped in and classes have been merged as part of the makeshift arrangement in the Newtown school.

“Teachers with better connectivity are often stepping in for those who still have no connection,” said school principal Sonali Sen.

Most of these schools are holding activity classes online, along with regular lessons for students during the lockdown.

“I hate missing my favourite classes like music,” said Manash.

“Our students were being offered one-on-one counselling sessions, along with various activities right from March. We had to suspend all classes for a while given the situation,” said Bratati Bhattacharyya, the secretary-general of the school and the Shikshayatan Foundation.