A survey in July by the ‘Save the Children’ reported that 62% of Indian households have discontinued their education amid the coronavirus crisis. Some elite schools in urban areas and a few in rural predominantly private ones have made themselves able to teach via Google meet, Zoom, etc., but again here the digital divide is remarkably high.
A 2017-18 survey found that about 23% of Indian households have access to the internet and about 12% of the students have access to smartphones like androids and only 8% of households with study children have a digital device with internet connection.
Online education is scanty in India, quite visible in post-Covid scenario. There exist many households where the children have spent almost major time without any digital learning device.
Unfortunately, the device lies with the earning guardian of the family and as such, they have limited access. Most of the children from troubled background are stuck in their homes with their parents, even some of them lost their job due to pandemic. The very deprivation of the children from school kept them away from mid-day meal. Malnutrition/ under nutrition is very much prevalent in these kids. Going to their friend’s house where any digital device exists is not possible due to physical weakness and mental fatigue.
A recently published report on annual status of education says that only a small cohort of students 0.5% are learning in online classes. Digital divide in school education is remarkably visible in India whereas in developed countries like the US, the UK, etc., it lies on a plateau.
The real issue lies in its accessibility for which the Government can re-energise the school academics by reinventing student supportive tab. People with troubled living standard and low accessibility of language communication and location disadvantages are the major sufferers in this time. Internet services in terms of its speed and frequency matter, without which the study is affected.
It is observed that technical literacy together with internet connectivity are essential ingredients for future learning in pandemic. Strengthening of digital infrastructure in schools together with facilitating its access to students at home are to be prioritised.
The Centre-State combo controls the digital technology, its procurement, delivery and its distribution. The reality is that in the name of making robust digital infrastructure, the frequency and speed of the broadband were increased at excess cost paid by the guardians. The parents end up with bearing the brunt of digitalisation. During pandemic more than 188 countries shut down their schools. Strengthening digital technology together with effective functional digital literacy will address digital inequity.
Many students lack digital connectivity or student-supportive software to learn. The Government should make plan for processing smart phone app in which rural students can easily communicate their homework in the crisis period.
Dearth of physical connectivity or cellular access does not enable the disadvantaged ones to obtain timely supply of academic materials. In addition, the rural population remains complacent to the learning cause of their wards. The epidemics desperately impact the hinterland of our State. The signal becomes spotty and bleak. It debars them to have access of video streaming of movies with large module of educational content. I have come across photo click in newspapers that students in rural disadvantaged locations with low HDI wait for hours to receive decent signal.
Another barrier in digital learning of rural Odisha is the hesitancy of guardians or parents to spend on digital learning.The pandemic has taught that education system at 10+2 level must respond to school closure by reinventing digital learning resources and training of digital trainers.
A dedicated wing is to work with telecommunication carriers to subsidize cellular data and even waiving internet usage cost from rural students. TV and Radio stations must be coordinated to float class rooms on air. Pre-recorded education materials should be prepared by experts and sent to the concerned students.
Care must be taken so that the wave do not blink frequently in rural blocks where cellular data do not reach smoothly. Live stream of classes be launched every week.
Specific instructional material be prepared pre-emptively in the core topics such as Mathematics-Statistics and Language studies as well as crisis related topics like mental order, stress management, food and hygiene, etc.
E versions of textbooks by simplifying instructional tool kits be publicly made available for all subjects and all levels. Local administrative authorities should endeavour to partner with private digi-tech organisations to capacitate the online learning process. Live and recorded sessions by internal teachers as well as external experts will be very useful during pandemic.
Various types of attendance assessment and interactive E assignments will be useful to enhance student learning. Now it is our commitment to work in a mission mode so as to cut the digital inequity in school education.
(The writer is Chairman, Institute for Development Research & Monitoring, and a former Director, University Employment and Career Guidance Bureau, Utkal University; Mail id: msccompsc@gmail.com)
