Effective Principals 2020 | Ms. Leena B. H, Principal of Nagarjuna Vidyaniketan

Why is E-Learning isn’t a sustainable solution COVID-19 education crisis in India?

The goal of school education is not just learning of facts but training of the mind to think, develop cognitive skills and infuse character with abilities for life skills. Holistic development of a child can be fulfilled only by the interplay of various facets of physical attendance and interaction which are prominent in institutional/school education. ALL ROUND DEVELOPMENT – IQ, EQ, AQ, SQ become foundation of life long experiences. Replacing/Alternative to the traditional institutional learning is a challenge that the entire world is faced with. The adverse impact of not attending regular school is more prominent in the foundational primary & secondary education. Here, we will focus on the sustainability and adaptability of on-line learning as an alternative to school education while battling the vagaries of socio-economic-health effects of COVID 19.

The Covid – 19 pandemic has affected every aspect of human life, aspiration / pursuit and adversely in the field of education. According to the UNESCO report 1.26 billion children worldwide are affected by the school closures due to the pandemic, which is quite alarming as this constitutes 72% of the world’s student population. India alone comprises over 320 million of these learners. We are still uncertain when they can return to their school or colleges.

During the Pandemic India is witnessing a boom in the e-learning department. Schools have gone online with their resources, to make sure the learning experiences do not stop. On-line learning has emerged as the new normal during these testing times. Schools, teachers, parents & children are quickly adapting to online/virtual classroom but this abrupt transition to online learning hardly compensates for the absence of the classroom experience.

Having been two months into this E-learning, the challenges are galore.

a)      Infrastructure Challenges.

• Stability of digital access.
• Internet access to children of all strata of society.
• Hardware and accessories affordability by economically weaker children. Ability & interest of parents to invest.
• Classroom environment at homes of poor families.

b)      Children Challenges

          –        Computer skills lacking.

          –        Interest levels.

          –        Family distractions.

          –        Parents oversight.

          –        Psy and health effects of screen time.

          –        Instant interaction with teachers.

          –        Coordination of books with computers/online learning.

          –        Concurrent access to other sites on internet – major       distraction  & cyber hazard.

          –        Lack of physical activity/displacement/school routine and pre & post school activities.

          –        Lack of interactions – No opportunity for development of social         and inter human       relations skills affecting their behaviour and   character.

          –        Confidence in the fruitfulness of the online education. Lack of          trust in the system.

c)      Faculty Challenges

          –        Flexibility & adaptability to online teaching challenges.

          –        Lack of confidence to implement new methods coupled with   inertia to up-skill especially of older generation faculty.

          –        Lack of independent interactions between child and teacher.

          –        Requirement of innovative mentoring techniques.

          –        Realistic and real-time feedback, group dynamics.

          –        Influence of parents during classes.

          –        Lack of opportunities to impose / influence through personal             behaviour.

          –        Command & control  in terms of attendance, attention and                 monitoring of children is an issue.

          –        Using digital medium to prepare for classes and producing                interactive teaching tools.

          –        Keeping interest level high of children.

The above can be overcome with time but applicability may not be universal. Notwithstanding the above the societal challenges that are emerging due to schools being shut is incremental by the day and is a bubble waiting to burst. The repercussions / spin offs need attention –

•  Attending school was an opportunity for many children to feel protected from domestic violence and harassment.
• Attending school is a motivation for many.
• Attending school gave many a meal to eat.
• Psy effects on children due lack of outdoor activities and witnessing domestic violence.
• As household finances are being strained and needs increase, out-of-school children are more likely to be exposed to risks like family violence, child-labour, forced marriage, trafficking and exploitation, including by responders. 
• For the most vulnerable children, education imparted at school is life-saving. Not only does it provide safety and protection, importantly, it also instils hope for a brighter future.

Government & society need to come up with an incremental, progressive and holistic approach to deal with the above challenges. COVID 19 is here to stay and we have to adapt to living by combating it on a daily basis but with the plethora of challenges as enumerated above, the education system needs universally applicable out of the box solutions. The time frame & sustainability of such on line learning infrastructure & solutions and their ability to bridge the gaps is extremely suspect if not impossible especially the digital divide & unsurpassable socio-economic disparity. Last but not the least the MIND – CHANGE to alternative traditional institutional learning.

Effective Principals 2020 | Ms. Leena B. H, Principal of Nagarjuna Vidyaniketan

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