When Lockdown starts due to Covid-19, the first thing done by the most of the state Governments is to shut the school and colleges,this is obvious because in this kind of places people are gathered ,and gathering is not allowed .but when they(authority) feels that lockdown would be extend so they started online classes over various platform like YouTube some dedicated apps etc.
So in result in the Beginning most of the big Private Schools and colleges had started online classes.
later on many State gov schools in various state decides to go online.but Unfortunately this initiative was not that affected.
Teacher and school administrator have been advised to continue communication with students through virtual lectures or portal like Massive Open Online Courses.
However ,in the absence of physical classrooms and proper digital infrastructure ,both teacher and student are facing unprecedented challenges.
The main challenge of remote learning is disparity in access-
Electricity
Internet Connections
Device like computer or smartphones
Electricity:- Though 99% Indian homes have electricity connection Under Saubhgya Scheme(acc. to gov data) .Definition of gov on electrify a village is different.
Gov Def:-If some houses are electrify in a village then whole village is considered as electrified.
Gov claim they electrify 100% house of all state except Chhattisgarh. As now in Lockdown PowerCut issues has faced also by major cities like 'Bengluru' ,'Thane' etc..
In the Summer, the power cut issues usually attain its maximum form.
Frequent power Cuts:-
data from Mission Antyodaya ,a nationwide survey of villages conducted by the ministry of rural development found that -
20% of India's households received less than 8hrs of electricity.
only 47% revived more than 12hrs.
Only One -Third Indians have Smartphones(2020,Q2)
So many Qes. has arrive in this situation like:
Phones available for student ?(Lower Incomes Groups affected badly)
Do they have Extra phones? "
Limited Data? "
Extra data pack affordability? "
For this survey ,a computer included devices like, desktop computer, Laptop Computer, notebook, netbook, palmtop, tablet,(or similar handheld devices). However,
Smartphone was not considered as Computer
Most of the state have in single digit number of Computer
Only 8% of the all households with members aged between five and 24 have both a computer and a internet connection.
The Digital Divide
The digital divide is evident across class, gender , region, or place of residence .
Among the poorest 20% households, only 2.7% have access to a computer and 8.9% to internet facilities.
In case of the top 20% households, the proportions are 27.6% and 50.5%.
A peaceful environment and as separated room to listen to online class is a luxury many cant afford.
Acc. to the IAMAI(Internet And Mobile Association Of India), In 2019 the Internet Penetration in Urban area is 51% and 27% in rural and overall 36%.
Profile of Internet Users :-
Gender Distribution:-
Poor Speed And Connectivity:-
SpeedTest, a site that analyses internet access performance the globe, in its latest report on tracking COVID-19's impact on speed around the world which was updated on April 15 , showed a 6% decline in fixed line speed and 18% in mobile speeds when compared to the week of March 2. As per the report, India's current broadband speed is an average of 36.17 mbps and mobile download speed is 9.67 mbps.
With the existing digital divide, expanding online education will push the digital have-nots to the periphery of the education system, thereby increasing inequity in educational outcomes.
If the governments continue online education without necessary supportive measures, the prevailing disparity in the virtual world translate into widening educational inequalities among Learners