How Has COVID-19 Affected School Education In India?
Durga Basu
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of educational institutions across India and across the globe. Due to this, teaching has moved online and most of us are being taught online.
However simple it may sound, online education is a luxury for most in our country. Only about 50% of the citizens have access to the internet — that too of stable quality. More importantly, this is not only an immediate issue. Instead, it will have long-term consequences, especially on those from the lower echelons of our society. More than anything, this issue has exposed the growing inequality among students in the country.
Over the period of lost schooling, most schools have provided online resources to children to continue learning at home. However, the truth is, only 5% of Indian households, with members aged 5 to 24, have access to computers and internet connection — the device and connection are not necessarily owned by the household. Only 27% of urban households have a member with internet access, while in rural areas, this is only 5%. Internet access and device ownership also vary across states. For instance, in states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Bihar less than 20% of the people have access to the internet, while in Delhi, Punjab and Kerala, the number stands at just above 40%. And to top these worrying figures, there is a stark gender gap with 34% more men than women with access to the internet.
Obviously, missing school during the lockdown will have dire consequences in terms of skill growth and may even increase school drop-out rates in the country. It’s well understood that students in rural and semi urban areas (especially girls), will be forced to engage in household chores and help out as farm labour.
While the move to online schooling may not have affected many belonging to the upper classes — with their ability to own multiple digital devices, get admitted to resourceful schools with well-trained teachers, and have a suitable atmosphere at home to study — it will deeply affect those who are less fortunate. According to statistics, more than 40% of Indian homes only have one dwelling room and cell phones usually, which belong to the parents and are not readily available to the children. This can cause difficulties especially in large families. Moreover, if children are made to attend to household work or other family needs, it would affect their academic work.
Therefore, if there is one vital lesson learnt during the pandemic, I would say that it has laid bare some deep-rooted problems in education and exposed inequality among students in the country.
Students with Disabilities
One group of children whose needs are often ignored are those with various disabilities. Millions of such children are at brutal risk now, as they will miss weeks, months or even a year (or more) of education. At many schools, they receive personal attention from trained professionals familiar with their distinctive ways of thinking, understanding, and processing. So far, one knows for sure what long-term impact this will have particularly on children with special needs.
Home: Not Always a Safe Space
Apart from this, we have those students who have challenging atmospheres in their own homes — especially if they are to live with abusive care-givers. For such children, the school is often a ‘safe place’, where they feel secure.
Many are also assured of a free mid-day meal — sometimes their only meal for the entire day. The pandemic, therefore, reasserts the importance of schools and classrooms as the primary and the most significant spaces for students’ academic, physical, emotional, and social needs.
Govt. Support for Disadvantaged Parents and Teachers
It is imperative that parents of students from all backgrounds have the right support — which is helpful but not prescriptive (given the challenges many families are facing during this time). This would help reduce the impact of differences within the learning environment between children from different backgrounds. Finally, there are gaps in the capacity of teachers across different schools to set up online teaching. Teachers in the most disadvantaged schools are likely to need more support and training in how to deliver content online. A few such teachers — with whom I have spoken to — have confessed their concerns about their own mental health and well-being. Besides, many come from households that are under severe financial stress because of the pandemic.
The Way Forward
In India, millions of students have missed weeks of online learning school due to the reasons stated above — it is vital, therefore, that we rectify this before it permanently blights their life’s chances. Some possible solutions may include a fund from the government and businesses to help supply children with the necessary devices, as well as related technical know-how. The central and state governments must step in and invest in uninterrupted free broadband and create apps that teachers and students can easily access. Generous moves from internet providers to lift data caps and provide lower priced tariffs would be welcome, but we also need to make sure that all families are aware that this is available to all.
Public spaces and institutions situated on land allotted for community welfare should be made available to children so that they may have a safe, quiet, easily accessible space for study in. Ensuring uninterrupted electricity and internet access would help.
The current situation requires immediate and effective response. This is by no means a minor requirement. The cost of doing nothing will be huge and will leave almost a whole generation of children uneducated. These challenges are made intensified by the fact that we are no longer living in a world that is predictable and constant. Responses need to be rapid, based on thorough research, and innovative. The focus should be on adapting teaching itself, so that none of us are left behind.
Durga Basu is a Class IX student at Vasant Valley School, New Delhi.
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