By Apurva Pandey, 2nd Year, B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) student at Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur
Introduction
With the ever-increasing #COVID-19 cases and #COVID variants swaying the entire nation, the routine of physical work came to a halt. It was exactly when people worldwide decided that it was the time a 'new normal' was adopted and hence the transition from offline to online was conceivably inevitable. While this transition was more or less smooth for people with constant access to the latest technology and the fastest internet, the remotely cornered groups had a coarse path ahead.
Such disparity can be studied through a microscopic view of schools and their ways of adopting online modes as a medium of imparting education. Is it the same everywhere? The answer is NO. Imparting education online might sound easy and convenient. However, the immense struggle behind setting up the entire concept is tedious. Adding to it is a problem of disparities present between private schools and government schools, which is constantly impacting the way they deliver online education. This disparity ultimately comes at the cost of the education of young children, and the pandemic is not certainly helping the situation.
Online Education in Private Schools
High-end private schools have significantly catered to the educational needs of those who can afford them. Not just mediocre but luxurious facilities and infrastructure has been the topmost priority of these private institutions. While this is visible when we look at the sprawling infrastructure and top-notch facilities physically, private schools try to make sure that the same quality is available online as well.
Most of these private schools are well equipped with proper infrastructure and facilities for e-learning such that students can efficiently study from the comfort of their homes. Studying, conducting examinations, correcting assignments and even taking attendance becomes an easy job in the online mode with the proper equipment.
Private schools and the physical support they give to vocational skill-based activities also give them an impetus to continue this in the online mode. With the resources most of the private schools have, online workshops and courses have been implemented to further the learning of both the teachers and the students.
The easy availability and access that private schools have provided to their students and teachers in the online mode are just some of the perks one can experience while being enrolled in a private school in India. The teacher-student ratio is considered suitable for physical teaching. Even in the online mode, it serves the needs through one-on-one interactions.
Online Education in Government Schools
The entire education process in government schools is utterly antagonistic to the ones in private schools. While an assumption cannot be made for all, most government schools lack the required facilities and resources to conduct physical classes smoothly. Conducting classes automatically becomes a complex task.
Access to the latest technology and internet requires the proper equipment. This is not possible till high amounts of funds are allocated for the same. Government schools often do not receive enough funds for proper conduction of physical classes, such that online classes are a utopia for most of them. Due to this pandemic, even government schools had to expand their Horizon to online teaching and affording all the heavy equipment is a tough job with a funding crunch.
Additionally, the accessibility factor also comes into the picture. At the same time, statistics show that 62.8 per cent of the boys and 70% of the girls are on the rolls of government schools are from villages; it is also essential to note that some of these children might not have the required environment for the smooth conduction of online classes either. Steady electricity or continuous access to smartphones/laptops might not always be possible, which would disrupt the access to education for many aspiring students.
While this problem might even be seen with students of private schools, most of these private schools have enough funds to compensate for the loss, which might not be the case with all government schools. Since the ratio of students coming from rural areas as stated above is high, accessing technology from some remote rural areas might hinder serving the objective of 'education for all.'
Online Education- A Way Ahead
While it is clear that there is a disparity between private and government schools in their conveying education, it can indeed not be used as a way to generalize the fact that one type of school is better than the other.
The idea of online education is not new and hence has been the preferred mode by most. While some government schools in this matter face a setback, it can generally lead to education inequality between the students. The level of education offered might vary between the two schools physically. However, the question that arises is if online education is the right way ahead? When we compare the types of schools and the opportunities they offer to students online, it can be fair to say that there is a disparity. However, if accessed smoothly, the 'education for all' motto can indeed be achieved.
Online education can reduce the gap in terms of opportunities and quality of education offered in physical premises. This is because students from both private and government schools could be exposed to the same level of information and available online sources. Even if the schools fail to provide the required online resources, the vast amount of resources that are too of the topmost quality can be used by students easily. This surely would provide a level playing field to all and ensure that the quality of education does not suffer because of the lack of facilities physically. The only assumption one takes into account is the constant access to technological demands posed by online education, without which the entire process is inevitable. However, the harsh reality is that technological demands posed cannot always be met by everyone, and students would not get the level playing field till this technological gap is bridged.
(Disclaimer- The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Child Rights Centre.)