Yasmeen Manzoor
Srinagar, April 17(KNB): Scores of teachers across the valley have raised privacy issues for using the mobile app Zoom asked by Directorate of School Education (DSEK) to organize online classes for the students.
Amid pandemic Covid-19, educational institutions across the valley are closed following which the administration has directed all teachers to organize online classes for the students through the mobile app Zoom. Many female teachers have refused to use the app citing privacy concerns associated with the application and allegedly said that there are reports that the application is under scrutiny over privacy hacks.
Pertinently, the guidelines from the Union home ministry read, “Zoom is not a safe platform, most of the settings can be done by login into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference. However certain settings are possible through certain mode/channel only.”
One of the teacher said, “We are always ready to give our 100% to the students, but here is the matter of our privacy concern as the mobile app Zoom is not safe for teaches especially the females.
“Another teacher said, “Although, MHA has issued advisory not to use Zoom app for official use, we are being made to use the application for hours through our phones in which we store a lot of personal data including videos and photographs.”
While talking to Kashmir News Bureau, Director of Private Schools Association, G.N.Var said, ” The high speed internet is banned in valley, so we have to take some steps to compensate the loss which the students face from past August 2019 following the shutdown and internet being snapped.”
He further added, “If any teachers is facing the privacy issue using the Zoom app, they can send their complaints to us through email and we will ensure the use of application is stopped, moreover teacher cab use the Google Classroom over Zoom.”(KNB)