E Learning during lockdown

At a time when children are confined within four walls of th ..

Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/75723105.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

But many Indian educationists are worried over a digital movement in education threatens to cut off a sizeable number of children.Only about a third of the students will have access to any online content. It could be difficult for parents, especially in rural and marginalised communities, to understand that content, said Maharshi Vaishnav, chief of staff at Educate Girls NGO.Although about 78 percent of India's 1.3 billion population has mobile phones, teledensity in rural areas is around 57 percent, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India."These numbers are not conducive to virtual classrooms for the majority," said Nishant Baghel, director of technology innovations at Pratham, a learning organisation that has developed digital, radio and SMS-based programmes to be delivered via village administration in 10 Indian states.Even in homes with a smartphone, usually owned by the father, it may not be available to the children for learning.Previously, access to a functioning school was a class marker for millions of children. Since the lockdown, access to the internet may be one, too.Barely 13 percent homes in India have desktops and laptops.Moreover, without interactive platforms, will there be real "learning"?The digital disparity is becoming starker as more schools begin to adopt virtual tools.With uncertainty over when students can go back to the classroom, educationists are thinking about remedial measures.