Children have to go up a mountain for online classes: ‘We freeze in cold’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Ağcaşar is a neighborhood in Köprüköy district in Turkey's eastern province of Erzurum. While students across the country have to follow their classes online due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the students here have to go up a mountain every weekday because of the lacking infrastructure and network lines in their neighborhood.

Having difficulty in accessing the EBA distance learning system of the Ministry of National Education, students have been trying to make their voices heard by sharing their videos on social media.

'My marks were good, now very bad'

In one of the videos, one student says, "I will take the High School Entrance Exam next year. I had very good marks last year. We get no Internet here, I cannot attend the classes. My marks are really bad. 

"It is really difficult to prepare for the exam in these conditions. We are here from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening. We go up to this mountain every morning, we are freezing in cold."

A high school student also says, "In these winter conditions, amid this frost, we are trying to join a live lesson on a mountain top."

As there is no proper service in Ağcaşar Neighborhood, students have to climb a mountain to follow their classes. Some parents also accompany them to the mountain top so that they can continue their education.

'There are wild animals in the mountain'

A parent says, "We want the authorities to ensure that the radar comes to our village as soon as possible. Children are staying in this cold, in this frost. I have to come with them. There are wild animals in the mountain."

"Our network lines do not have service, as our village is in the hollow; our students cannot attend the EBA classes and online lessons," the residents of the neighborhood also say and add, "We hope that someone will hear our voices, a base station will be set up as soon as possible and our students can follow their classes in the warmth of their homes."

With their video, students have asked for support from the Presidency, Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. (AÖ/SD)