Accessibility of classes will remain an issue till the time the basics are made available to the underprivileged, says Dr Neelam Gupta
The education industry that was once majorly focused on theoretical learning has now taken a practical turn and is strongly leaning towards soft skills. To add to this, the need for upskilling and reskilling too has grown as an important trend in the education sector.
Online education was already making its presence felt in the Indian education system but with the pandemic hitting the globe, it transf ormed from an option to a necessity for students. As per the survey conducted, the online education market in India is set to garner a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of almost 20 per cent by the end of 2025. There has been a revolutionary change in a majority of the schools and colleges with the introduction to online or hybrid learning.
Is online learning an advantage for GenZ students?
Generation Zees are more curious, creative and spontaneous. They are climbing a long and innovative academic ladder through major transformations in learning patterns. Online education for young kids comes with many additional benefits attached to it apart from following Covid restrictions. Students can expose themselves to tons of information and courses available online by many upscaling ed-tech startups and online educators.
Unconventional courses such as clinical research, blockchain, data management, UX/UI are still exclusive for on-campus students and provide multiple professional assistance, which is a step forward from the regular schools and colleges. These changes in the pattern are making students ready for the job sector and allowing each student to explore their passion and creativity from a network of global educators and also connecting students across India to the international job market.
E-learning gives students a comfortable space and ability to learn from any place and allows more flexible schedules, especially when they wish to take up classes apart from school. The immediate transition from offline learning was smoothly adapted to by the teachers and many students. However, some underprivileged students found it tough to cope with this new change because of the limited resources available to them.
The dark side of online learning
Online learning glues young children to screens for more than 12 hours a day which could be alarming for parents. It can cause social isolation which might lead to other serious issues including mental health disorders, stress and anxiety. Due to the lack of face-to-face communication between peers, online learning can also cause a lack of communication skill development in students.
UNICEF report: Out of 250 million students 8.5 per cent have internet access
All enrolled children who were not able to attend online classes faced multiple challenges. A survey by ASER (an autonomous assessment, survey, evaluation and research unit within the Pratham network) confirms anecdotal accounts of students facing hurdles in access to mobile phones, connectivity and even electricity. Bigger challenges have been faced by students whose families fall under the below poverty line (BWL) as they find it difficult to arrange online classes.
Can India make a complete switch to online education?
Before the pandemic hit the globe, countries were progressing towards ensuring that, by 2030, children would at least complete primary school education. Keeping in mind the GDP statistics of India and poverty as a serious issue, it would be easy to argue that online education is easily not accessible to most people.
As per the NCERT survey, at least 27 per cent of students do not have access to smartphones or laptops to attend online classes, while 28 per cent of students and parents believe that lack of electricity is one of the major concerns. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for students to cope with everyday assignments and live sessions.
According to the School Children's Online and Offline Learning (SCHOOL) survey, titled Locked Out: Emergency Report on School Education, involving 1,362 school children from underprivileged homes in 15 states and UTs, 37 per cent in rural areas are not studying at all and 48 per cent can’t read more than a few words.
Summary
Online learning across the globe saw a great spike due to covid norms, with multiple ed-tech startups offering new-age courses, online learning paved its way to the system and holds a strong position today. The most affected by this change of learning pattern are underprivileged students, as they do not have basic backup resources.
India, despite being one of the major players in the world of online learning, there is still a large gap in technology literacy and affordability in the population. Until such gaps in society exist, online education will not be able to reach all students. Therefore, it's important that we look at online learning as an addition, rather than as a replacement for the traditional mode of education.
(The author is founder president and CEO, AROH Foundation.).
