Digital Divide
Education, a medium to fill up the differences in society and to give new perspectives to people's mindsets. Education, a way to achieve equality and to end prejudices against the vulnerables. Education that leads a nation on the path of progress and prosperity.
Presently, the whole world is struggling to combat the impact of ongoing pandemic on every aspects of life. But if we talk about its future implications, the void created in the education sector will have major consequences, because the prolonged closure of schools & institutions is affecting the equal accessibility of educational reach to children. According to recent NSO Report on Education, only 24% of households have internet access in which rural households have merely 4% accessibility. It indicates that there is huge digital divide. Students who have ease of access to internet will go ahead of the students who are deprived of internet facilities. Although a colossal gap already exists in the quality of education the children of different sections of society get, this shutdown will shoot up this partiality even more. There will be no fair evaluation of students in future!!
Apart from students, the owners of private schools and institutions, and people who are employed by this sector are severely affected. Especially small institutions or schools that provide education in rural areas or in urban to indigent who can't afford giant fees of big institutions.
Due to poor penetration of digital connectivity in such sections, the concept of online classes has not been proven so beneficial. Moreover, institutions itself are not well positioned to provide these resources to their students, like big ones do. They can't even ask their parents as they are already in distress. It results in loss of education of students and income sources of these institutions. This is grim situation as it is affecting three sections- school owners, teachers who work for these institutions, and students, simultaneously. I know children are at more risk but if we take proper measures and Standard Operating Procedures is drafted for schools, it can relieve many people from their sufferings.
Presently, the whole world is struggling to combat the impact of ongoing pandemic on every aspects of life. But if we talk about its future implications, the void created in the education sector will have major consequences, because the prolonged closure of schools & institutions is affecting the equal accessibility of educational reach to children. According to recent NSO Report on Education, only 24% of households have internet access in which rural households have merely 4% accessibility. It indicates that there is huge digital divide. Students who have ease of access to internet will go ahead of the students who are deprived of internet facilities. Although a colossal gap already exists in the quality of education the children of different sections of society get, this shutdown will shoot up this partiality even more. There will be no fair evaluation of students in future!!
Apart from students, the owners of private schools and institutions, and people who are employed by this sector are severely affected. Especially small institutions or schools that provide education in rural areas or in urban to indigent who can't afford giant fees of big institutions.
Due to poor penetration of digital connectivity in such sections, the concept of online classes has not been proven so beneficial. Moreover, institutions itself are not well positioned to provide these resources to their students, like big ones do. They can't even ask their parents as they are already in distress. It results in loss of education of students and income sources of these institutions. This is grim situation as it is affecting three sections- school owners, teachers who work for these institutions, and students, simultaneously. I know children are at more risk but if we take proper measures and Standard Operating Procedures is drafted for schools, it can relieve many people from their sufferings.
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