On-Line
Learning: Are We Ready?
A Note
by Prof. Arun C Mehta, Former Professor, NIEPA, New Delhi (INDIA)
Background
Because
of the COVID-19 outbreak, since the third week of March 2020, the entire
Country is under lockdown. Schools are closed down because of which students
are offered online content but many are facing difficulty in getting access to
contents because of lack of digital devices. In this note, an attempt has been
made to assess readiness to receive online content.
Rather
than students as a unit of on-line education, better to make household as a
unit of online education because of the availability of the digital platform,
on-line education must be provided. A few households may not have got access to
any digital device but may have Radio and/or mobile phone with FM receiving
facility. A few others may have got only Television Sets with or without DTH
facility. Besides, few households might have got access to a smartphone with
limited or no internet facility. Few others maybe only a few households,
especially in the rural areas might have got access to a smartphone with 4G
connectivity. Contrary to which a few households might have got access to a
computer or laptop and/or smartphone with data plans and/or Radio and TV with
DTH connection. Depending upon the availability of the digital platform, the
household may be categorized into those who can access (i) on-line (ii)
off-line or (iii) partially online content.
Computer
& Internet Facility in India
To know
more about the availability of digital mode at household, it is important to
analyze NSSO 75th Round of data on education conducted during
the period July 2017 to June 2018. During this round, information on ICT in
general and (i) whether the household
had a computer and (ii) internet facility while for each person age 5 years and
above was collected. Also, HH's ability to operate (i) computer,
(ii) use the internet, and (iii) whether the HH used the internet during the
last 30 days was also collected. Unfortunately, information on the availability
of all devices such as, desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook, notebook,
palmtop, tablet, etc. was collected but one of the most easily
accessible devices these days, namely Smart Phone, no information was collected
in view of which the NSSO 2017-18 data may be considered as revealing
incomplete information about the availability of devices in Households. Still,
it provides useful information about the availability and use of ICT devices in
both rural as well as urban areas which is briefly analyzed below:
Available information
reveals that only 10.7 percent of the total households in India have got a
computer and another 23.8 percent have got access to internet facilities. But
the same in the rural areas is as low as 4.4 and 14.9 percent respectively as
against 23.4 and 42 percent in the urban areas; thus showing a wide gap in the
availability of computers and access to internet facility between rural and
urban areas.
State-specific availability of computers
and access to internet facilities further reveals a wide-spread gap between
states. On the one hand, Delhi reported having the computer in its 34.7 percent
of the total Households and another 55.7 percent has got access to the internet
as against only 4.6 and 15.4 percent households respectively in one of the
largest states, namely Bihar. However, the same in the case of Odisha
concerning the availability of computers is as low as 4.2 percent which has
also got the lowest percentage (10 percent) of households have got access to
internet facility. One can easily understand, how households in India in
general and located in the rural areas would have got access to online content
offered to their children during COVID19. In the rural areas, Jharkhand has got
the lowest percentage of HHs having a computer (1.3 percent) as against 5.8
percent of households in Odisha having got access to internet facility.
Ability to use
Computer & Internet Facility: India, Population 5 year & above
The percentage use of
Computer and Internet Facilities for the population 5 years and above reveals
that only 16.5 percent of people in this age group can use the computer as
against 20.1 percent use internet out of which 17.6 percent used the internet
during the last 30 days from the day of the survey. The percentage is as low as
9.9, 13.0 and 10.8 percent respectively in the rural areas compared to which
percentage in the urban areas is much higher at 32.4, 37.1 and 33.8 percent
respectively but still a majority of population both in the rural and urban
areas do not know how to operate both computer and internet. Further, a
wide-gap has also been observed between males and females using the computer
and internet which is true for both the rural and urban areas. In rural areas,
only 7 percent of females reported having the ability to operate computers as
against 12.6 percent internet facility. The corresponding percentages for the
ability to use the internet are 17.1 (male) and 8.5 percent (female) in the
rural areas against 37.5 (male) and 26.9 (female) percentage population know
computer operation and 43.5 (male) and 30.1 (female) percent know internet
operation in the urban areas.
A state-wise percentage
of 5+ population having the ability to operate a computer and use internet
facility separately in the rural and urban areas also reveals wide-spread
variation across states. Bihar with 8 percent, Jharkhand with 8.2 percent and
Odisha with 8.5 percent has the lowest percentage of the population who can
operate computer against 42.8 percent population in Delhi and 41.5 percent in
Kerala know computer operation incidentally which is the highest amongst major
states. In the rural areas, the percentage is even further low as
only 6.3 percent of 5+ population know computer operation in Bihar against 39.2
percent in Kerala. Further, significant variation is observed in the
case of male and female operating computers and internet facilities. It may
also be of interest to observe that male-female variation both in the case of a
population of 5+ who can operation both computers and the internet is more in
urban areas than the same in the rural areas.
The above analysis of
NSSO 75 Round data (2017-18) reveals that all households are not yet fully
equipped to receive online content. Even if they can receive, most of them are
not able to use it which is reflected in the NSSO 5+ population able to use the
computer as well as the internet all which raises serious issues about the
reach and use of on-line contents made available in different forms across the
country. The above analysis of available data is presented because of users but
are our teachers equipped to handle the task efficiently concerning the
development of contents and conduct on-line classes? or they are supposed to
use the contents developed and made available by other agencies? How
teachers are equipped about imparting online classes is also indirectly
reflected in schools having got access to computer and internet connectivity
which is latest available for the year 2017-18 in the public domain through
U-DISE which is briefly analyzed below. It may also be of interest to know that
of the total 9.24 million teachers who impart school education, about 20
percent of teachers are not professionally trained. Incidentally, more than 85
percent of teachers in government schools are professionally qualified but the
percentage of untrained teachers in the case of private and aided schools is as
high as 27.43 percent. On the other hand, the qualification of a few
teachers is below secondary (0.49 percent) and 5.83 percent Higher Secondary
level but good to know that majority of teachers are graduates and
postgraduates (76.16 percent). Even 1.08 percent of teachers are having M.Phil
degree holders as against -.46 percent teachers having acquired a P.Hd degree.
Besides, the percentage of contractual teachers is high which has increased
during the recent past as many states have discontinued the recruitment of
regular teachers. In addition to about 20 percent of teachers not having
adequate professional qualification, about 6.74 percent of schools are
single-teacher and 2.51 percent government schools, single-classroom school;
how they manage schools even on normal days is a moot question forget about
on-line learning during COVID days all which raises serious issues about the
real implementation and impact of online learning. It is disappointed to
further know that only 59.18 percent of the total 1.5 million schools (all)
have regular HMs posted in schools compared to which the same in case of
primary-only school is only 45.54 percent indicating no leadership[p available
in case of about 54 percent primary schools in the country in
2017-18.
Schools having Electricity & Computer
Facility: 2017-18
Schools having
electricity connection, computer, functional computer, and internet connection
presented at the all-India level for the year 2017-18 and in a few selected
states reveal that our schools are not equipped to meet challenges paused by
the pandemic. Even the basic requirement such as, the electricity connection is
yet to be provided to the majority of schools which is true for both the rural
and urban areas. A glance at the available information reveals that
of the total 1.5 million schools engaged in school education in the country;
only 63.14 percent of schools have got the electricity connection compared to a
little more than 50 percent of such primary schools. It is also true that just schools
having electricity connections don’t necessarily mean that schools get an
uninterrupted power supply. It has also been observed in the past that schools
generally do not have separate funds to pay electricity bills because of which
generally observed that even schools have a connection but they do not have in
real power in school. May be The Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri
Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana launched by the Prime Minister will help
electricity reach our remaining schools.
Percent of Schools having Electricity, Computer and Internet
Connectivity in School:
2017-18
|
Facility
|
Primary Only Schools
|
All Schools
|
|
Electricity Connection
|
51.85
|
63.14
|
|
Computer
|
12.20
|
29.57
|
|
Internet Connection
|
3.54
|
13.61
|
|
Functional Computer
|
4.19
|
13.07
|
|
Computer Laboratory
(Hr. Secondary Schools)
|
-
|
45.17
|
Source:
U-DISE
Another
crucial indicator is the availability of computers and internet connection in
schools both of which are yet to be provided in the majority of schools in
India. Of the total 1.5 million schools, only about 20 percent of schools have
got a computer as against 12.20 percent such primary schools. Unfortunately,
the percentage of working/functional computers in schools is as low as 13.07
percent (all schools) and 4.19 percent (primary only schools. The state-wise
percentage of schools with working computers further reveals that the same in
Bihar is as low as 0.51 percent compared to 3 percent in Uttar Pradesh, about 5
percent in Jharkhand, 4 percent in Assam, 5 percent in Madhya Pradesh, and 3
percent in Odisha. On the other hand, schools in a few states such as Andhra
Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat have got electricity connections in schools but the
percentage of schools with a working computer, except Delhi (68.25 percent) is
still very low. Schools with working computers need not have internet
connection as only about 14 percent of schools have internet connection
compared to only about 4 percent of primary schools.
Schools having Electricity, Computer and Internet
Connectivity in Schools (All) in Selected States: 2017-18
|
Facility
|
Assam
|
Bihar
|
Jharkhand
|
Odisha
|
UP
|
MP
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
Delhi
|
Gujarat
|
All India
|
|
Electricity Connection
|
24.28
|
45.82
|
47.46
|
36.50
|
44.76
|
32.58
|
92.80
|
99.93
|
99.91
|
63.14
|
|
Functional Computer
|
3.98
|
0.51
|
4.84
|
3.22
|
3.17
|
5.99
|
24.03
|
68.25
|
38.65
|
13.07
|
Source: U-DISE
Despite the lack of
digital devices to receive on-line content, both in the households and also in
schools, online education in different modes was launched during COVID19 which
may have further widened the inequalities across the country. Time Education in different modes, such as audio,
video multi-media, etc. is being widely used across the
country. Are the deprived further at the disadvantage stages?
Limited information available on this aspect suggests so, see the box below. It
may be recalled that the Government of India announced the nation-wide lockdown
on March 23, 2020, following which both the Central as well as State
Governments promptly made available online resources on different platforms (laptops,
desktops, and mobile phones and also through Radio and Television Sets) most
of which were already available in the public domain but altogether were made
available at one place some of which are mentioned below. Despite all efforts,
the limited available information all suggest that the contents are yet to
reach all segments of the population (about 240 million students) because
of the adequate device at household/home and those who could get access all of
them couldn’t use the resources because of the one or the other reason. The
government of India has also specified its e-learning priorities with Grades 9
to 12 having an enrolment of 63 million is given the top priority followed by
Grades 6 to 8 (64 million enrolment) with the next priority and Grades 1
to 5 (120 million enrolment), the last priority. But it is a fact
that households having got access to devices has improved significantly since
the year 2018. Pratham’s recent study reveals that about 62 percent of the
total families in India now have got access to a smartphone. Besides, the proportion of boys enrolled in government
schools having smartphone increased from 62.8% in 2018 to 66.4% in 2020 against
an increase from 70% to 73% in the case of the household having girls during
the same period all of which suggests that our households though slowly but
surely gearing up to have smart devices at home which shall eventually help us
in taking contents to more and more households. However, in the absence of
electricity in households, charging smartphones is another hurdle in accessing
contents online. Lack of digital skills amongst parents, especially in the
rural areas in the case of students at primary level is another major hurdle
children accessing digital content at home. In addition, children are also
engaged in helping their parents in their work. More children from the general
class are seen using online content than children from the socially deprived
section of the society. The study conducted by the UNICEF in collaboration with
the Maharashtra SCERT also reveals that only half of students of Grades I to
VIII in government schools in Maharashtra have got access to online learning.
The study also reveals that 72 percent of families in Maharashtra lack digital
skills and only 66 families do not have access to smartphone as compared to 57
percent of students have got access to internet connectivity. All the available
evidence indicates the digital divide between rural and urban areas and also
between general and ST/ST students. In addition, government schools are also
required to be geared up to take care of additional students who have migrated
from the private schools many of which now during the pandemic have closed down
or simply the parents are not in opposition to pay the fee. Efforts must be
initiated to ensure that after the COVID is over, more jobs are available or
salaries are restored these children are not migrated back to private schools.
Government’s
Online Learning Resources
DIKSHA: Online platform for
school education for teachers, parents and students (Grades I
to XII)
e-PATHSHALA: NCERT’s Web portal
and mobile app which has audios, videos, e- e-books and Flip Books
for Grades I to XII.
NATIONAL REPOSITORY OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (NROER): A
portal dedicated to quality contents.
SWAYAM: National online education platform
hosting courses for both school (class IX to XII) & Higher
Education (both UG and PG) in all subjects which are made available free of
cost to any learner in the country.
SWAYAM PRABHA: Has DTH TV
channels transmitting educational contents for both school and higher education
on 24/7 basis which is being received across the country by using DD free Dish
set top box and antenna.
NISHTHA: An integrated Teacher
Training Portal & Moblie Applications.
UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION (UGC): College
& Higher Education learning
NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY: This is a digital
repository of a vast amount of academic content in different formats.
NIOS: For students enrolled with NIOS
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Online
contents for all levels of higher education
In view of serious
loss of learning because of the pandemic, UNESCO’s session on October
22 was convened to protect and promote education at a time when
education financing is at considerable risk of being left behind in the
governments’ domestic budgets, stimulus packages, and international aid, the UN
agency said (HT, 25th September 2020) all which shows the
situation of learning because of the pandemic is serious. However, online
education has opened up a lot of opportunities for both educators/teachers and
learners/students. With experience and proper policy and honest efforts may
result in India march-ahead which may become an example for other countries as
well.
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