Biggest challenge budget schools facing today is perception of parents and society towards education. Though education has been the priority of our society but this pandemic witnessed sectors vulnerable and questioned its existence ?
In the beginning of the pandemic we saw students/teachers in a short span of time coped up with changing dynamics to adopt online/digital education. Initial response was encouraging students from class 9 to 12th. They found this to be one of the best ways for education going forward. However, once lockdown started opening we saw that the response was fading.
Some of the real challenges on ground of budget schools were:
a. In the past few years we have seen the reach of broadband and high speed mobile internet has wider reach. However, still the reach of quality internet is restricted to top tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. Reach of broadband internet is not there in villages or tier 3 or 4 towns. Digital education needs continuous quality of internet speed and any frequent drop in network makes learning experience.
a. Best of Digital education can be experienced on laptops and desktops. Mobile and tabs can fill the need but not all homes can provide devices to each and every kid. Families having two students need additional devices and spaces for Digital education.
b. Still penetration to 4G services is limited due to lack of affordable handsets. Though internet cost per GB data is lowest in India but when it comes to Digital education you require at least 5 to 10 GB data consumption daily per student. This will require a portion of earning by parents allocated to digital education apart from school fees. (The majority of homes in tier 3, 4 and rural areas don't have access to broadband providing unlimited internet and have to rely on 4G mobile broadband services).
c. Budget schools faced severe financial constraints in meeting additional expenditure for buying devices and technology related spends in backdrop of almost nil collection of fees in first three months of pandemics.
Tier 2, 3, 4 and rural schools faced shortage of technological skills for online classes. However, we should acknowledge and applaud the phenomenal upgrade of skills by both teachers / students learned together to witness transitional shift in education delivery mode. However, schools should have tools and technology for creating online content for younger kids. The lessons should be designed in such a way that the child only spends a few minutes looking at a screen. This can be done by integrating different activities into the lessons. This requires transformational change and different kinds of skill sets which take time to develop.
Over centuries school education has remained classroom based and the sudden transition to Digital mode left many parents in delima.
a. Certain group of parents having reservations on providing access to Digital education with preset notion of increase in screen time, eyes etc
b. Discouraging schools by #Noschoolnofees campaign across India. This campaign has led unaided budget schools to collapse and may take to recover from this shock.
Not every village and town in India is infrastructurally developed to sustain online education. Offline mode provides an environment for students which is not only difficult but impossible for students to achieve at their homes given above limitations. Frankly students, teachers and parents are missing face-to-face interactions, energetic and healthy debates amongst peers within the classroom and outside which are integral to quality teaching. Since online classes have replaced classroom/ campus education, it would have developmental and cognitive impact on the child's mental and social development.
Among all we felt the segment of students most affected due to pandemic is age group 3 to 8 years. These age groups have suffered the most as they are yet to be fully independent in their learning and activities. They learn almost everything from their parents, teachers, school, peers and neighbors. They are among the most active and brain development. The COVID-19 has affected the school education and it won’t be the same. Future will be a blended approach towards learning and will look different in each school.
Since Jan 2021 we have started seeing change in behaviour of parents and urging us to start school for all classes. They have realised this pandemic has been making dent in their kids school education. Not only have students lost this year of studies but also erased memory / mind with previous class learning. Covid-19 cases have dropped substantially and vaccination has started across the Country but at the same time we have to remain cautious and take precautions.
All over IndiaI lakhs of students do not have access to internet connectivity, computers or smartphones, hence restricting the reach of digital education through technology. We ourselves have seen over 110 students drop out from our school due to pandemic and over 400 students not able to get on Digital platform for online school. It's painful to see the situation of school education and tomorrow’s future in the dark.