Even though the Indian government has taken steps to accomplish important objectives in the field of education, significant interventions are still needed to address learning poverty and the enduring disparities. Discuss. (250 words)
Yes, I totally agree with the fact that the issues that are deeply ingrained in the school education system in India cannot be solved by digital transformation alone. If we dive into India's school education system at the grass-root level, many discrepancies can be witnessed. It is not an egalitariaRead more
Yes, I totally agree with the fact that the issues that are deeply ingrained in the school education system in India cannot be solved by digital transformation alone. If we dive into India’s school education system at the grass-root level, many discrepancies can be witnessed. It is not an egalitarian world and being a developing country, India has a large number of remote, rural and slum areas which have not yet experienced development well and hence, the children or people of such underprivileged areas still lack access to education. In such remote areas where even basic development is not implemented, for instance, pucca roads, electricity, proper dam system etc., digital transformation is a myth. Digital transformation can only influence the privileged classrooms or the online education system. Moreover, although digitalization of education might be a sign of development, yet it may come with its own shortcomings. The underprivileged children, like any body, do have the right to education since they, too, are the future of the country. But due to deprivation of access to basic developmental trends and technology, they remain untouched by any type of education, be it formal, informal or digital education. Hence, I believe that these issues should be taken into consideration and measures and policies should be taken so that if digital transformation is done, it should reach anyone and everyone all over the country.
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In spite of measures taken by the governments to address such issues, like the Right to Education Act and NEP 2020, factors like learning poverty and educational inequity still remain in countries like India. For example, the World Bank warns that basic reading skills fail only about 55% of the chilRead more
In spite of measures taken by the governments to address such issues, like the Right to Education Act and NEP 2020, factors like learning poverty and educational inequity still remain in countries like India. For example, the World Bank warns that basic reading skills fail only about 55% of the children by the age of 10 in Indian society. This is the case of students coming from the rural parts of Bihar where there are no qualified teachers or proper schools to send provisions for. Due to this many children’s aspirations are cut short at the most lowering of the foundational skills.
Inequality is also pervasive not only in caste systems but also in gender and economic status. For instance, in some states such as Rajasthan, policymakers have noted that many girls do not return to school due to cultural issues and unavailability of facilitating infrastructure such as girls’ toilets in schools. But glamor students in urban cities like Delhi sit in Air-conditioned class rooms with the latest technology thus creating the gap.
To avoid this, building up of teacher training programs, strengthening of rural digital outreach using examples such as Kerala’s digital classroom initiative could improve the situation significantly. Sourcing ideas from NGOs and private companies as is the case with Pratham’s ‘Read India’ initiative could help as it is a cancer in itself and needs a broader base.
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