Online classes: 55% students in classes 4 to 12 report health issues like physical strain, eyesight troubles, backache and headache

Nearly 55 per cent students in Classes 4 to 12 have reported health issues, mainly due to prolonged online learning during the pandemic. The health issues mainly include stress, severe eyesight problems and insomnia.

These are the findings of a study — 'The Impact of Online Teaching during the Pandemic on Learning and Well-being' — conducted by students of Lucknow-based Spring Dale College (SDC) chain of schools.

The report is based on a survey, including group discussion, of 4,454 respondents — 3,300 students, 1,000 parents and 154 teachers — of various schools. The respondents were queried about the problems and benefits of online classes.

In the study, 54-58 per cent students said that they experienced severe physical strain, eyesight troubles, backache and headache due to postural problems, apart from lethargy, fatigue, irritability and obesity.

Nearly 50 per cent complained of stress and 22.7 per cent of insomnia while about 65 per cent of students cited technical glitches, network problem, difficulty concentrating while studying through mobile phones.

About 45-47 per cent of students had problems in interacting with teachers and classmates and said not all people are seen on screen at a time. Students also complained of loss in confidence and low motivation.

The positive result of online education, however, is that both students and teachers have become tech savvy. Over 60 per cent of the students said they got additional leisure time which they used in gardening, art and craft while 65 per cent said they spent free time at home which strengthened family bonding. However, both students and teachers yearned to get back to classrooms and felt that physical interaction helped in improving educational standards.