VSSUT students help out school children with free online tutorials
SAMBALPUR: Crisis reveals character, and a group of students of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, have shown a lot of heart and more by reaching out to students affected by Covid-19.
The VSSUT students have started an initiative, ‘Unlock Education, The New Face of Knowledge’. Under this programme, students of the tech varsity are providing free tutorials to needy and interested students from classes VIII to X through WhatsApp and other online platforms.
Hrudananda Prusty, the group’s founder member, said due to Covid-19, school students are facing a lot of difficulties with their studies. “The students are not allowed to go out of their homes for tuition as well. Hence, to provide free tutorial and guidance to those interested, we have started this programme,” said Prusty, a student of metallurgy who passed out this year.
“Around 50 students of VSSUT are associated with the programme and they are providing guidance to the students free of cost,” he added.
What started with Prusty, Ayushi Swain (third year electrical engineering) and Ankita Meher (third year production engineering), on July 3, with just five school students, has now around 200 students from across the state, studying under the Odisha board as well as CBSE and ICSE. On the way, the three VSSUT students were joined by others as they expanded their reach among the school children.
The VSSUT students have created three separate WhatsApp groups, one each for the state board, CBSE and ICSE. There is another WhatsApp group for VSSUT students who have volunteered to teach and guide the children.
The school students post their questions and doubts on the concerned WhatsApp group and subsequently, the question is forwarded to the group of student-teachers. The VSSUT students then solve the question and the answer is forwarded to the student. If a child needs further assistance, a VSSUT student makes a video call and explains it to the school student.
VSSUT vice-chancellor Atal Chaudhuri was full of praise for the initiative taken by his students. “It is a very good thing they are doing. I am really happy that they are meaningfully contributing to society and helping some needy school students,” Chaudhuri said.