The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2021) survey looked at how Covid-19 affected learning. It reveals a growing reliance on private lessons and a lack of easy access to cellphones.

To help make up for learning deficits, additional attention is required, particularly in the lowest levels. The pandemic has thrown a harsh light on the vulnerabilities and challenges faced by the world in education. There is an immense learning gap due to existing inequalities.

Challenges

• Online Education’s Availability:Online education was envisioned as an alternate way of disseminating education, but it, too, fails in the face of the challenges faced by Indian students. This system’s accessibility and affordability are a hurdle. While e-learning is a benefit for students in the higher and middle classes, it has proven to be a nuisance for students in the lower middle class and those living in poverty.
• According to Observer Research Foundation, close to 250 million children in India were adversely affected due to school closures due to the early lockdowns imposed by the government in response to Covid-19. Several children from less-privileged circumstances ended up dropping out of schools, some were forced to take up jobs in order to support their families who were dealing with pandemic-related deaths and income loss.
• Although private, urban schools in India were better adapted to new circumstances, government schools have struggled to transition from traditional in-person learning to an online ecosystem, especially in rural India. The challenges faced by the Indian education system were amplified during the pandemic
• The grading system and the logistics of conducting examinations for students finishing their primary education has been considered multiple times, but this unprecedented situation has delayed the process in formalizing a country-wide procedure for allowing students to take their final exams.
• Uninterrupted education relies on the availability of and access to digital infrastructure including the Internet, laptops and phones.

Way forward

• A Multi-Pronged Approach: Flexible rescheduling of academic timetables and researching methods for offering education to a broader group of students in conjunction with schools, instructors, and parents. Prioritizing underprivileged pupils who do not have access to e-learning.
• Increasing the Effectiveness of Online Education: Shorter but better dialogues should be favoured over extended hours of repetitive sitting and one-way communication. The teacher’s responsibility must go beyond simply commanding the classroom to that of a knowledge transfer facilitator.
• Focusing on the Knowledge Aspect: Education is more about motivation than skill. Students are expected to learn more than simply the material on the curriculum.

Covid-19 has demonstrated how the Indian educational system takes exploit of inequities.

As a result, renewed commitments to the synergy between the commercial and public education sectors are required. In this setting, it is necessary to make education a public benefit, and digital innovation may assist in this endeavour.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-post-pandemic-world-needs-better-public-schools-7890571/

How to structure:

1. Give an intro about education in India and the learning gap
2. Discuss how the pandemic has increased the gap- digital divide
3. Explain how the government can be a game changer in this context
4. Explain the steps required- connect this with schemes
5. Conclude