CSI School for the Deaf provides new smartphones to underprivileged students

To help underprivileged students get access to online classes, CSI School for the Deaf in San Thome has started giving new smartphones to them.

The first set of smartphones were given to 8 students, during the Independence Day ceremony, held at the school on August 15.

Dr V. Saroja, state minister for Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme, presided for the event and presented the phones to the students.

Says James Albert, headmaster of the school, “We started online classes a few weeks ago. However, students from poor backgrounds were unable to attend classes as they did not have smartphones or computers. So we have begun giving them new phones in batches.”

He says they are initially providing phones to students from classes 10, 11 and 12, as they will be attending board exams, this year.

“In the first batch, 6 students from class 12 and 2 students from class 11 were given phones.”

The headmaster says the school will also support these students with cash, required for internet connectivity.