The biggest casualty of the pandemic has been education. Online lessons are not a viable proposition for most children across India as the majority in rural areas does not have access to WiFi and neither do they have the tools to facilitate online learning.
So, for the past nine eight months or so, these children have been sitting at home, with no incentive to study and parents who are themselves struggling to survive. The teachers have also found conditions unbearable with no salaries being paid. Many have taken up menial jobs to feed their families.
But despite the inequalities and digital divide, the 15th Annual Status of Education Report Rural showed 11 per cent of all rural families bought a new phone since the lockdown began and 80 per cent of these were smartphones. However, access to learning materials and activities needs particular attention. In Telangana, most private budget schools are on the verge of closing down due to non-payment of fees.
On the other hand, government schools are reaping the benefits as thousands of parents seek admission in state-run institutions. Teachers of government schools are on an enrolment drive, going from door-to-door to solicit admissions.
Earlier, even those who could ill afford it, were keen on having their children study in private schools, preferably English medium. They knew from their own experience that education was the great leveller and their children could accomplish goals they, sadly, had never had the opportunity to aspire to.
That coincided with the mushrooming of schools which cashed in on public sentiment and advertised facilities which were often more the product of an imagination in overdrive. To ensure high enrolment, there was a liberal use of St (for saint) and public in the names to attract parents who were proud to say their children went to a convent school or a public school.
Lucky to possess latest gadgets
I do realise that those children who are lucky enough to possess the latest gadgets that are conducive to online learning are enjoying this new schooling, especially since the syllabus has been reduced and teachers have the freedom to explore areas of knowledge that are not necessarily linked to the syllabus but are educative as well as entertaining.
For some kids, e-learning has been a blessing in disguise. Not every child thrives in school. There are some for whom school is an ordeal for many reasons such as feeling out of place or handicapped by an inability to make friends.
One young girl in Delhi from a low-income group who got admission through the quota for economically weaker sections used to be mocked by her classmates for her faltering English and left out of birthday celebrations. Her reaction was to pick fights which led to her being banned from attending school. Now that she is at home and has a laptop donated by her mother’s employer, she is acing all her tests and is completely focused on studies.
Many states in India have given the green signal for schools to reopen but the response from parents has been lukewarm. It is very difficult to ensure social distancing in a school environment as well as the wearing of masks throughout, especially in institutions where crammed classrooms are the norm. The world before the pandemic struck was a place where going back to school after a break was looked forward to.
There was the excitement of new books, new friends and new teachers. Now there is fear of the unknown as the virus surges but the vaccine gives hope. Although online learning has been a panacea in these trying times, there are many challenges such as technical problems and students as well as teachers being ill-prepared for e-learning competencies.
Vanaja Rao is a freelance writer based in Hyderabad, India
