Education: At least 24.7 crore children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools have been affected by the closure of nearly 15 lakh schools across the country due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, according to a report by UNICEF. Globally, schools for more than 16.8 crore children have been completely closed for almost a full year, it said.
Given the digital divide in India, the report pointed to the exclusionary nature of online education and highlighted that only one in four children has access to digital devices and internet connectivity in the country. Pre-COVID, only a quarter of households in India had access to the internet. In addition, the report points out that access is also affected by the rural-urban and gender divide.
Talking about the staggered approach to reopening schools, the UN body in its report said that till date, only eight Indian states and union territories have reopened all classes from Grade 1 to Grade 12; 11 states have reopened Grades 6-12 and 15 states have opened Grades 9-12. Three states have reopened anganwadi centres, as younger children were losing out on critical foundational learning.
“As schools re-open in a staggered manner with children returning to their classrooms, we must strive to support them in catching up on the learning they have missed,” PTI quoted Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India Representative. This was particularly important for those children who had been unable to access digital or remote learning opportunities. She also added that the mental health and well-being of children was a concern and as such children must be provided with psycho-social support by teachers, parents, and caregivers.
Read this article on why education in India needs an overhaul.
