The previous academic year was a bizarre anomaly; with students learning from home – or so we thought. For a while, we thought that kids could safely go back to school. Some schools did restart and many conducted offline exams after a year of online schooling. However, the second brutal wave of the pandemic quickly put paid to that and kids are back to online learning – inadequate as it has proved to be. What lies ahead for Indian school kids?
It isn't just the fact that online learning is simply a placeholder for in-person studying – face to face with teachers, learning to interact and building valuable bonds with other kids in class. The fact is that online classes have been unsatisfactory and have actually deepened the class divides in our country. The underprivileged simply do not have the option of attending online classes. There may be poor connectivity and daily data allowances may be insufficient.
In pandemic times, India’s digital divide has become even more glaring. Many kids may have no access or inadequate access to electronic devices. There could be one or no device in the home and more than one child having to attend classes, for instance. For kids without the support structure of educated parents and the means to self-study/ receive tutoring, online classes may be quite woefully inadequate.
And then there is the challenge of higher education – the whole process of going to college and learning not only the course material but also life skills – has fallen by the wayside. Group discussions, practical instruction, clubs and other activities of college life and the experience of hostel life are altogether absent right now.
While online classes can be one of the forms of instruction, we have seen that they are inadequate as a standalone instruction medium. Schools and colleges have to start in-person teaching – there is no real option. Teachers and support staff in school can be declared frontline workers and vaccinated as a priority. Parents and schools can unite to vaccinate kids above age 18 by setting up immunisation centres in schools and colleges.
The authorities are currently assessing the phased reopening of schools and the gradual repopulation of classes. Staggered class timings, fewer children in class at a time, rotational rosters that help to maintain adequate distancing are some options. There may be a need to increase the number of educators at this time – fresh hires could take care of this and also help ameliorate the unemployment problems that the nation currently faces. Educational departments at the central and state level could allocate more funds and create more vacancies to prioritise education.
Perhaps kids can be given the option to study online or attend in-person to begin with. While all classes are streamed online students have the option of whether or not they attend in person. This can give kids the option to continue studying online if there vulnerable people at home or other reasons they feel unable to attend in person.
Government and private partnerships could help create realistic solutions for children without access to online education. As of now, we really don’t know when children will be able to resume regular, offline education. We need innovative solutions, committed educators who want to ensure the best outcomes for students – and those in decision making positions who prioritise kids and their futures.
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