CM Omar Abdullah launches e-Pathshala; says digital learning to supplement teaching, not replace teachers

Jammu, Jan 8: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday launched the e-Pathshala initiative of the school education department, asserting that digital platforms are meant to supplement classroom teaching and bridge learning gaps.
The e-Pathshala channel will be available on DTH channel 53 for home-based learning across the Union Territory. The chief minister also inaugurated new hostel buildings and other development projects under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
Addressing the event, Abdullah said that the initiative marks a beginning towards expanding digital learning resources, with the long-term vision of having a dedicated channel for each class.
“This is just a small step. Our intention should be that every class has its own channel. Gradually, we will expand these channels, and there will be a separate channel for each class”, he said.
He made it clear that the introduction of e-classrooms and digital channels should not be misconstrued as an attempt to reduce the role of teachers.
“Whether connectivity exists or not, physical teachers cannot be replaced, and we have no intention of replacing them. The relationship between a teacher and a student cannot be substituted by any device or technology,” he said.
Highlighting the transformative role of good teachers, the chief minister shared a personal anecdote to underline how effective teaching can help even weak students excel.
“A good teacher can take even the weakest students to great heights,” he said.
Abdullah recalled his days as a student and said, “When I was a child, I had no interest in science. My parents believed that I would fail in physics and chemistry and would never pass. In Srinagar, there was a teacher, Sat Lal Razdan. He had taught my father as well. It was said about him that even if he taught a desk, the desk would pass. But I had no faith in this at all”.
He said, “Many teachers were ready to come to my home to give tuition because my father was the chief minister. But Razdan Sahib said that he would tutor me, but I would have to come to his home. In winter and summer, I went to his Jawahar Nagar quarters to take tuition. I have never scored as many marks in science in my life as I did under his guidance through good tuition”.
Abdullah congratulated the education department and other stakeholders for the initiative, saying that if used properly, it could change the lives of children in the Union Territory.
He also called for regular feedback from students and teachers to ensure the content remains relevant and beneficial.
The chief minister said that out of the 20 districts in Jammu and Kashmir, 14 have been made education-literate, adding that the remaining districts are among the most remote areas and stand to benefit significantly from the new channel.
On the use of mobile phones and screens, Abdullah said that technology should be used constructively for education, mental exercises and learning, while cautioning against excessive use for gaming.
He also stressed the need to cultivate reading habits among children, encouraging them to read books, magazines and newspapers alongside textbooks.