Chinks in the armour

Context: COVID crisis has revealed many shortcomings in India’s school education system that needs to be addressed.

Challenges during COVID pandemic

• Use of technology: Teachers are mostly unfamiliar and frightened of technology and are unable to use, also many households lack compatible devices.
• Schools in lower fee segments found it virtually impossible to conduct classes.
• Online delivery of classes: Patchy due to network issues and emphasized more on maintaining schedule rather than leaning outcomes
• Learning loss: More acute for children in the age group of six to nine years, prolonged lockdown closure will set students back significantly.
• Sharpen the inequalities: young girls in rural India are likely to be the first to slip out, gap between children who have access to online learning and those who don’t will widen.

Way Forward

Post the pandemic, online education should no longer be dismissed as just a fad and schools must wakeup to this new mode of education and be better prepared for the future.