A technologically-challenged mother from Simpang, Perak went through quite a bit of trouble to make sure her daughter had the resources she needed to follow online classes
The teacher who helped her, Nazirul Mu’izz Azmi from Sekolah Kebangsaan Dato’ Alaudin, said she came all the way to school to ask for help.
Sharing the encounter on Facebook, Nazirul said he was busy finishing some paperwork in the school office when the mother approached him to ask how to download Telegram on her mobile phone for her daughter’s online classes.
“Cikgu, can you help download Telegram for me? This phone doesn’t have it and I don’t know how,” she said.
Nazirul said he would help her, but both the Internet and phone connection was poor in the rural school area
“The problem was that the line is terrible at our school. I downloaded the app using the office Wi-Fi, but the confirmation code via text message couldn’t come through,” he said, knowing there was better signal outside the building.
However, drowned with work, Nazirul said he had to stay at the desk to finish his chores.
He said he was sorry but he asked the mother to walk out to the school guardhouse to get a better signal to find out her phone number through the network menu as well as receive the confirmation number.
“I apologised to her numerous times. I was just too stressed with my work to leave my desk and the line was a real problem. But she didn’t seem to mind and just wanted to get it done.”
It took her a few tries and she walked in and out of the school multiple times, but Nazirul said she finally got it
He said she intially looked flustered and struggled to remember her phone number which needed to be keyed in after downloading the app.
However, she soon came back in with her phone number written on her hand as well as the confirmation code on her phone.
“Is this it, cikgu?” she asked him, to which he replied it was and that he can help her register now.
Nazirul said he registered her for Telegram, helped her daughter enter the online class group, and even placed the app on the phone’s home screen so that they can find it easily.
Sharing pictures of the determined mother and her phone with a cracked screen, Nazirul wished the mother and her daughter well in all that they did.
“These are some of the struggles that people in rural areas face just to ensure their children do not get left behind in their education,” he wrote.