COVID-19 has left education institutes little choice but to revise the syllabus for a phygital teaching experience, says RUSTOM KERAWALLA

What are the top three reforms needed in the education sector at present?

The present policy lacks emphasis on the public-private partnership model. It should permit the private sector to build social infrastructure to aid holistic development especially in the social sector with an outreach to the underprivileged sections of the society. The private sector needs to be given a greater role. The proposal of three-language learning being made compulsory has not gone down well with many State. It would be a good idea for students to opt to learn their mother tongue. Edtech should be an integral part of the National Education Policy as its perception and application due to the COVID-19 pandemic has changed altogether.

Will online education remove the disparity that exists?

While it may not eradicate disparity at a go, it will be the stepping stone in bringing the education eco-system closer. Students from the remote corners of the country will get an opportunity to learn vocational skills which they were deprived off due to geographical and technological barriers. Also, this would uplift the under-privileged sections of the society who cannot afford expensive education. They would now be able to access and learn the same skill-sets at a fraction of the cost and sitting at home or skilling centres in their town or city. This will ensure a level playing field and also give the country skilled labour who in-turn can turn entrepreneurs and become independent.

What are the cons of online education?

Online education is at a very nascent stage but is revolutionising at a pace never thought before. While accessibility to the internet is one of its biggest limitations in the Indian sub-continent, the government should at improving infrastructure across the country to make it financially and socially viable. Also, with the widespread outreach will bring down the cost of online education dramatically.

The Government should lay the foundation by providing uninterrupted high-speed Internet coverage, reduce the taxes on hardware for education products like tablets, laptops, smart phones, and servers etc. to ensure affordability even to the economically weaker sections of the society. In addition, there will have to be specialised training of teachers to dispense their skills on an online platform. The teacher will also have to be attuned to the software and the latest trends and will have to regularly upskill themselves. Due to nascency in online education, there would be certain limitations at the earlier stages but those issues will get addressed over a period of time.

How important it is for teachers to change their teaching methodology -- due to online teaching?

Teachers don’t need to change their methodology in entirety but need to make value additions to their existing style of teaching by incorporating various interactive tools. Many modern schools already have smart classrooms equipped with smart boards, LED screens, projectors, internet, and regularly involve students in interactive conversations with teachers easily operating them. In a modern-day physical classroom, adequate focus is also given to flipped learning in addition to the conventional for of learning.

Teachers who are entering in to the system are conditioning themselves to the new ways of teaching to meet global standards of education to ensure better employment connect. At the same time, teachers from Government and Government-aided schools will have to spend more time in enhancing their skills. Those teachers who were reluctant to adopt technology in their teaching, COVID-19 pandemic has left them little choice to join the newage tech-savvy teaching brigade. The syllabus will also have to be revised for a phygital teaching experience.