E­learning in India, a Case of Bad Education

Context: In poorly performing educational systems as in the country, online learning may not usher in a revolution.

Three pertinent issues with the focus on e-learning

• Exacerbation of Inequality:

• Impact of COVID on inequality: Calamities, be it natural or man-made, affect the underprivileged the hardest.

• Lack of social mobility: Shutting down of schools due to COVID has deprived the poor to an opportunity to Education, leading to their stagnant position in society.

• Based on capabilities of the parents: who are either semi-literate or illiterate; which will actually lead to increased inequalities.

• While secondary school students would be advantageous (due to their acquired capabilities), the primary school students would suffer due to lack of opportunity.

• Pedagogical issues leading to quality of Education: Even if the measures taken were emergent due to COVID, they lack quality.

• The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT)’s Learning Enhancement Guideline (LEG) fails to recognize the quantum and depth of learning.

• Other factors limiting the quality of Education:

• Listening to lectures on the mobile phone, 
• Copying from the board where the teacher is writing, 
• Frequent disconnections and/ or having blurred video/audio 
• No focus on concepts: 
• Presence of misconceptions and ambiguities in subjects like science and mathematics.
• For, E.g. while the government uses Khan Academy videos for e-learning, they are criticized for ignoring the precise explanation of mathematical concepts.

• Neglect of importance of teachers and school environment:

• Education does not happen in chance encounters with print.
• It requires well connected, regular e?orts that are incrementally building to help the child focus his attention and to provoke him to distinguish and to discriminate, and develop a habit of staying on task. 

• Thrust in e-learning post-COVID: Studies seem to indicate that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom helps in already well-functioning systems, and either has no bene?t or negative impacts.

• Doesn’t solve the problems to an inadequate system of school education: 

• While the NCERT LEG states are focussing towards Internet-based, radio, IVRS and DTH, these will further exacerbate pedagogic limitation and quality of limitation.

• Ignores the significance of institutional environment: 

• Even when the institutions function sub­optimally, students themselves create an environment that supports their growth morally, socially and intellectually in conversations and interactions with each other  

Conclusion: Our democracy and public education system have, as usual, left the neediest in the lurch and are providing bad Education to those who matter.