The National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021- the first exercise of the sort after Covid-19 pandemic struck India, has confirmed how badly school education has been hit by the Covid pandemic. For the first time, a study has quantified the impacts and extents, showing a sharp decline in the performance of majority of the students. Under NAS, about 34 lakh students from more than one lakh schools in 720 districts of the country, have been covered, showing a decline in national average percentage in a range of subjects. The average performance of schools in rural areas was significantly below than their counterparts in the urban areas. Around a quarter of students said they didn’t have an access to digital devices, so couldn’t take any advantage of the online education. Students from poor and rural background faced greater problems also because of the non-availability of parental support. Suspension of physical classes has led to germination of negativity in children.
School closure in India affected 320 million children enrolled from pre-primary to tertiary levels of education. It has been estimated that of these, about 158 million are female students. A parliamentary committee has observed that in the post-pandemic scenario, the probability of more adolescent girls dropping out of school permanently to help with household tasks and childcare due to the economic hardships of their families is very high. The daughters of the country know though how to fight back. They have been able to secure the top three ranks in the UPSC Civil Services 2021 Examination, results of which were declared today.
However, given the inevitable COVID circumstances, several steps and initiatives have helped in aiding the cause. India’s Public Broadcaster also filled the big vacuum by helping students across the country with their studies amidst lockdown. In collaboration with various State Government institutions, Doordarshan and All India Radio broadcasted virtual classes and other educational content through their regional channels across the country on TV and Radio. Prasar Bharati News Services & Digital Platform (PBNS) ensured digital availability of these classes via YouTube channels and NewsOnAIR.com APP and website. These virtual classes helped Lakhs of students, especially the 10th and 12th standard students in preparation for their board and competitive examinations.
Further, Union Budget this year made another special announcement for the Indian education sector and that is the well-thought plan of the Centre to establish a Digital University in the country. While making this announcement, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “A digital University will be established to provide access to the students across the country for world-class quality universal education with a personalised learning experience at their doorsteps.” This university will be a solution to many a problems like shortage of seats in university system, lack of quality education and teachers, etc. which force scores of students to end up with little or insignificant choices. This initiative will also ensure inclusivity as the students belonging to lower strata of the society; normally find it hard to make it to the top institutions because of the lack of access. Measures like e-Vidya, One Class One Channel, digital labs, digital universities will create an educational infrastructure, which will provide better education solutions to the students living in villages and small towns, and belonging to poor socio-economic and educational set up.
India passed National Education Policy 2020 at the right time too. Under NEP, a well designed framework is all set to bring deep educational reforms which focus on development of both technical and soft-skills among scholars. It lays emphasis on inquiry-based, discovery-based, and analysis-based ways to help children learn. Employability is also in fact one of the parts of the policy. Indian students have for so long failed to get decent and appropriate employment opportunities on the basis of their earned professional degrees. The NEP fixes this as it envisions to empower students through encouragement of a set of vocational, employable & entrepreneurial skills provided to them at different stages of training & education.
SHARE
