How India's education sector underwent a digital shift and what lies ahead

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic altered the way we learn. After the second Covid wave, Indian education has undergone a dramatic transformation, with online teaching displacing the age-old system of brick and mortar institutions. Previously regarded as a quick fix, the measure has now become the norm. The NEP 2020 also emphasises the effective use of innovation to improve teaching and learning for students through the use of technology. With schools reopening, the onus is on the educational institutions to improve the in-class experience that students have been missing for the past two years by utilising technology to make the teaching and learning experience fun and engaging for students.

While many believe that the shift to online education was unplanned and tentative. However, as the saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” No one was prepared for this tectonic shift. There were many challenges in the beginning as students and teachers were trying to acquaint themselves with the technology and overcome obstacles to make it happen. With few glitches, the teachers and students learned to embrace the platform that offers so many opportunities to make education convenient and fun at the same time, saving Indian education from collapsing.

Striking the balance

Blended learning has become the new norm post lockdown. Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is a method of teaching and learning that combines traditional teaching with the use of digital technology giving teachers and students more flexibility to advance their teaching and learning experience. As the schools have now re-opened, this blended format of learning will prove beneficial in striking the right balance between online and in-classroom learning to provide students with the best learning and interacting experience.

Digital Divide: A bane to online learning

Even though online classes came to the rescue, they brought the actuality of the digital divide to the surface. At the moment, Indian education lacks the necessary infrastructure to teach all the students in the digital space. As a result, the value of offline classes cannot be underestimated. While online learning was comprehended as a step forward during the lockdown, it was not inclusive due to India’s massive digital divide. A study by Azim Premji Foundation states that nearly 60 per cent of Indian school children do not have access to online learning opportunities. According to a similar study conducted by Oxfam India, even among students attending urban private schools, half of their parents reported problems with internet signal and speed. A third was concerned about the cost of mobile data. Due to a lack of resources, 38 per cent of households were forced to drop their one child from school. 2021 (ICRIER and LIRNEAsia, 2021).

Fill the gap

As students return to educational institutions, the challenge will also be to assess the learning gaps created by the online model and find ways to integrate offline and online through hybrid learning. In addition, Indian education should create a resilient mechanism for developing inclusive EdTech solutions to bridge the digital divide. The Union Budget 2022 also recognised the importance of making digital education available to all. These two years may have been a watershed moment in Indian education, but many students, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds, have been left behind. The education sector has seen a significant increase in budget allocation. To address the gap, the Government under PM e-VIDYA introduced the “one class-one channel” initiative where nearly 200 channels will provide supplementary education in regional languages from classes 1st to 12th. The aim is to provide quality educational material to students who do not have access to the internet.

Going forward

There is no denying that online education was the only reasonable option for students to continue studying and prevent the education system from collapsing completely. Now we know that both online and offline modes have to strike a balance for the holistic learning experience, it is now necessary to comprehensively address several critical concerns to develop a more resilient system for the future. There is a need to find a balanced strategy to get the kids to school securely and optimize ICT to help them learn faster.

However, there is still a long way to go before the digital learning platform is available to everyone. With schools being reopened, the schools will be instrumental to bridge the gap created by online education.

The author is Chief Operating Officer, ODM Educational Group. Views are personal.

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