Covid-19 has hit the education sector the hardest in India, as schools and colleges have closed to stop the spread of the virus. As the pandemic intensifies in the country, inching towards 15 Lakh cases and more than 30,000 deaths, remote online learning is being taken up across the country. But how feasible is online education in India?
Access to technology and internet
Many major challenges exist in successfully implementing online education in India and it affects the marginalised and poor communities more. Students from such communities are more likely to be left behind as online education is not easily available or easily accessible to them. One of the major challenges is access to technology and internet. Many middle and low-income households in India struggle to provide access to laptops and mobile phones with internet access to their children.
“students are dropping out of school because they cannot afford smartphones.”
A Tripura man committed suicide after failing to buy a smartphone for his daughter’s online classes. A 12-year-old schoolgirl died due to suicide in Gujarat after being frustrated with online classes. Her father, who has run out of business in the lockdown, had recently bought her a smartphone for her online classes after much struggle. A Class X student committed suicide in Maharashtra after his father refused to buy him a mobile phone for online classes. In Assam, classes are being conducted over WhatsApp and students are dropping out of school because they cannot afford smartphones. A student from Assam died due to suicide because of his father’s inability to buy him a smartphone for his online classes. Everyday such heartbreaking news stories are increasing in numbers.
Another major challenge is the strength of internet connections as most of them are not strong enough to download data or allow students to easily take part in video calls. A girl from the Kerala had to climb to the rooftop of her house for better connection to be able to attend online classes. A latest UNESCO report states that internet bandwidth per internet user was 91 Kbit/s in developing countries compared with 189 Kbit/s in developed countries.
Online learning also requires the support and assistance of parents or guardians at home and parents of disadvantaged students find it difficult to support their children as many of them are not literate themselves. Children from such families may also lack a quiet place to study in their homes and are also more likely to spend more time doing household chores or other work for livelihood than on education.
Challenges for disabled students
Learners with disabilities are also more likely to be left behind. Many resources are not accessible for blind or deaf students. Children with learning difficulties, such as attention deficit disorder, may struggle with independent work in front of a computer. The loss of daily school routine makes it difficult for students who are sensitive to change, such as those with autism. Online learning also increases opportunities for cyber bullying and abuse, and this negatively affects the mental and physical health of students.
Are Teachers Equipped for Online Learning?
Do teachers actually have the necessary skills to conduct online classes. Many teachers had to switch to new online tools and technologies overnight to enable them to deliver lessons, correct homework and communicate with students and their parents. Only very few high-income countries could afford to train teachers at such short notice. For example, the United Arab Emirates, trained 42,000 teachers for imparting online education to students.
Medium of Learning Difficulties
“The Indian State of Tamil Nadu is planning to use television as medium.”
Choosing the right medium for remote learning is also a challenge. The Indian State of Tamil Nadu is planning to use television as medium. It is starting its own education channel and has also tied up with private channels for teaching sessions. But most of the challenges that exist for online learning also exist for television learning too. Television would also mean a lack of interaction between the students and the teacher. If students have doubts, how do the teachers clarify them?
Many low-income countries are using radio to impart education to students during the pandemic. Kenya is running school lessons on public radio. In Madagascar, 30 local radio stations are offering education programs. Few countries have also tried to deliver education materials to students’ homes. For example, in Peru, local government authorities are delivering textbooks to schools and homes. The State of Kerala translated class 1 virtual lessons for students in 10 tribal dialects and uses augmented reality for online classes. Other States are yet to catch up and provide focused solutions for students.
Importance of Schools
Schools and colleges can perform many other functions outside of education which are also vital for students. They provide a platform for social interactions and access to school meals, which are extremely critical for students from poor households. Many countries like South Korea tried to open schools with social distancing protocols in place but they are yet to successfully control the spread of the virus in classroom settings. Conducting examinations is also difficult in the pandemic and many school and college examinations have been cancelled.
At the peak of global lockdowns in April 2020, 91% of the global student population was affected in over 194 countries. Students are facing many uncertainties in this pandemic but hopefully this is temporary. Education professionals fear that there might be lasting effects, indirectly brought upon by job losses and recession, which will throw millions of Indians back into poverty and cause more students to drop out of school. No one can be left behind, especially when it comes to education. With various challenges haunting the education sector, can education in India survive the pandemic?
Krithiga Narayanan
Featured image courtesy of @kryptonitenicky via Unsplash.