V P Sanu
There has been widespread discussion about education in a post COVID-19 world. There is a need for the world to recognise the lessons taught by the pandemic in terms of how to approach education as well as find ways to rectify and reinvent existing outlooks about it. The central government sees this as a golden opportunity to implement their problematic agenda regarding public education. Nirmala Seetharaman has allowed top hundred universities in the country to start online classes without having to wait for further permission. This is an attempt by the government to make online educational activities the official/default option for these universities.
Behind this move lies the extremely anti-people aim of the commercialisation of education. Instead of facilitating education for all, the government is trying to make education the responsibility of students alone. Cutting funding for education is one way of doing this. Such efforts will create a situation where the government does not even have to hire teachers, build class rooms, labs, libraries or seminar halls.
Will all students have equal access to online education even if all of them access to the internet? How many will have a suitable learning atmosphere in their homes? What percentage of students can sit in front of a computer for 4-5 hours continuously? If an ordinary family has 2-3 students pursuing higher education, how can they attend classes together? In such circumstances, women students are more likely to be expelled. The gaps caused by caste, class and gender based differences will deny opportunities for many.
Uninterrupted Access to Internet
A recent study by Hyderabad Central University’s Department of Communication has found that 50% of Indian students do not own laptops. Only 45% have access to uninterrupted internet connectivity. For 18% of them, internet connectivity is non-accessible. Average internet usage in the country is just 36%. Most states’ usage stands well below the national average. New Delhi has the highest internet usage (69%), followed by Kerala (54%). Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka (39%), Assam and other North Eastern states (38%) are states with higher internet consumption than the national average. More than half the states in India stand well below the national average. It is in this situation that the country is gearing up for digital education. These figures show how it is not a feasible option.
Staring at one’s mobile screen for more than two hours at a stretch can also cause medical issues. Besides, the amount of data consumed to watch an hour long video would be double that of average internet use. Only those who have absolutely no understanding about the socio-economic inequalities in the country will imagine that everyone will own laptops, have access to the internet and have the physical-psychological conditions needed to study. There is an official directive that universities and campuses in the country must be disabled-friendly. Special facilities including labs are to be provided for those with physical difficulties. None of these will be available in most of their own homes and may even not be able to engage in educational activities without help. Such students will be kept away from the digital world. For some others, their family atmospheres may not be conducive for learning, especially, when it comes to senior students.
There is a considerable number of first generation learners in India’s higher education scene. It is very important to understand how such reforms will affect them. Such underprivileged students will trail behind other students with educated family members and access to library facilities of their own. An atmosphere of equal justice is extremely crucial for one’s education. One of the drawbacks of digital education is that it denies this.
Such issues will definitely affect their mental well-being and even lead to depression in some students. Studies reveal that the number of people with mental health issues has increased during the lockdown. There are many youngsters who are impacted by the isolation and are experiencing extreme anxiety due to uncertainty. Many of these problems that could have been solved through social support, were found to be unmet and rising. The number of students who have died by suicide in Kerala during the lockdown is simply alarming. The fact that most of them are girls points to deeper societal flaws. To overcome this, we must consider it a social responsibility.
Digital Education: Not an Alternative to Classroom Education
Crises are social constructs and it is unjust to force upon each individual the responsibility to find solutions. Digital learning is no different. Education is a joint process involving one’s teachers and classmates. It is not the teacher alone who imparts knowledge. Mutual engagement and sharing should be part of creating learning and research. Lab-library facilities must be available for all. An atmosphere conducive for social growth has to be constructed. All of this will not be possible with the replacement of classrooms and campuses with digital education. Such a process will only sabotage the idea of education as a tool of social progress.
The Kerala Chief Minister’s statement that the online mode is neither a parallel nor an alternative to the classroom is reassuring. This is to be considered a temporary mechanism to avoid learning from getting completely halted, with students with no social capital being left without any training for a long period. In Kerala, the Department of Public Education has made extensive preparations for that — the decision to broadcast classes, make TVs accessible to all, and other measures needed to conduct classes in adivasi areas by bringing in teachers. We must understand that the purpose of education is not simply to acquire knowledge. The country’s future is shaped up in today’s classrooms.
The role our schools play in the creation of the best of citizens is remarkable. Dependence on online education can result in an increase in mental stress and conflict among children; opportunities to engage with peers will be less; they may not be able to share their concerns. It is important to note the high incidence of suicide among adolescents. The atmosphere in classrooms may not be available in most homes. This could also affect students mentally. Such concerns need to be addressed at the earliest.
We can make use of technology; educational activities can be facilitated through online platforms like YouTube. However, educational activities can neither be limited to it nor can they be seen as alternatives.
Teaching is not to be performed in front of cameras. The current one is a situation wherein teachers cannot see or interact with their students directly from within the same social environment. The actual priority of governments, therefore, should be to establish more colleges, universities, hire more teachers, ensure more number of seats and courses, and ensure more facilities in every region.
VP Sanu is the All India President of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
This article first appeared in Deshabhimani.
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