One of the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown has been institutionalised education. Schools have been shut to prevent the spread of the virus and this has given way to online classrooms, a very new concept in India even for the most sophisticated schools. It is commendable how easily some educational institutions have moved to virtual classrooms, all thanks to tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams. But there are some still struggling to get online. The online classes, whatever the enabling technology, is only as good as the teachers and the ability of the students to grasp the new teaching technique. One of the teachers felt students are actually more responsive and active in online classrooms, compared to when they are in physical ones. "This could be because this is a new concept and they are excited to explore it with the teachers. They also don't get distracted by their classmates, which frequently happens in a regular class." Teachers do find the absence of a blackboard a disadvantage and network connectivity a constant problem. "We miss the clarity that a blackboard gives us, we are kind of making do with the virtual whiteboard on Zoom." Shweta Kawatra, a parent who teaches in a New Delhi school, highlights that many students have not been able to take advantage of the virtual platform because they do not have a suitable device at home or lack a good internet connection. "It has its own share of disadvantages too. Too much screen time can be perilous for health. Prolonged online sessions can be overwhelming and may lead to problems related to vision, body posture and sleep disorder," Kawatra adds.
[Excerpt from an Article by Sneha Saha, The Indian Express, dated April 18, 2020]
Which of the following statements cannot be inferred from the passage above?
Correct Answer :
Virtual Classroom teaching is a sustainable approach to education.
Solution :
The correct statement that cannot be inferred from the passage is: "Virtual Classroom teaching is a sustainable approach to education."
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Analyzing Option 1 ("Virtual Classroom teaching is a sustainable approach to education."):
The passage describes virtual classrooms as a "very new concept in India" where many are "still struggling to get online." It explicitly mentions major drawbacks such as lack of suitable devices, internet connectivity issues, absence of physical blackboards, and health hazards like vision problems, body posture issues, and sleep disorders due to prolonged screen time. Nowhere does the passage suggest or imply that virtual teaching is a sustainable long-term replacement or approach for institutionalized education. Therefore, this statement cannot be inferred.
2. Analyzing Option 2 ("Virtual Classroom teaching causes health problems."):
The passage explicitly states: "Too much screen time can be perilous for health. Prolonged online sessions can be overwhelming and may lead to problems related to vision, body posture and sleep disorder." Hence, this statement can be directly inferred.
3. Analyzing Option 3 ("Institutionalized education system has its advantages."):
The passage notes that the lockdown on institutionalized education is one of the "biggest casualties", and highlights drawbacks of virtual teaching such as missing the "clarity that a blackboard gives" in a physical setup. This implies that the traditional institutionalized education system has clear advantages.
Thus, the only statement that cannot be inferred from the passage is "Virtual Classroom teaching is a sustainable approach to education."
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