Educational inequality already exists in many forms in the country. The recent push for online learning in schools raises further questions. If out of nearly 320 million students, only fifteen-twenty per cent get the benefits of online classes, then what should be done? Access to technology to only a select few creates a new power relationship in the learning community. Inequality has its politics, and the structure of education and the distribution of resources is no exception.
In a pandemic situation like this, the safety of students is more important before the world gets a vaccine trial. But EduTech companies were quick to prepare their vision documents seeing vast potential in school education. In his book, Distrusting Educational Technology, Neil Selwyn estimates that the global digital market could amount to $5 trillion annually. Suddenly, online learning has become the mantra, sidelining complex issues like vacancies in teaching and financial resources required to improve the quality of learning in government schools. But is education through an online mode leading towards the objectives of education? Or is it creating a hierarchy among the learners?
Global technology companies have offered partnerships with schools in many countries. For instance, in the UK, under the terms of the partnership, the company will provide free training and technical support to teachers in conducting online classes and managing students' assignments. Several other companies have collaborated with education foundations working in the education sector. Some EduTech companies are even imparting free tablets and Wi-Fi connectivity to vulnerable students. Their eyes are on the consumers of the future and, of course, on the multi-billion market.
In India, Smart Class has already begun in several schools, with EduTech companies providing grants to merge education with technology. A big tech company has recently brought out a vision paper titled Re-imagining Education: The Future of Learning. They are calling for a paradigm shift due to Covid-19. This paper tells us the level of preparedness at the end of EduTech companies. Where is the vision paper from academic institutions?
EduTech groups are promoting their ideas in association with organizations working in the social sector. You may have observed the sudden influx of statements and advertisements advocating the importance of online education has intensified. The products of several companies have been coming into the market for school education. Some celebrities have joined the troops to promote these firms. Is online school education a solution, or does it create a new challenge for a country like India?
Schools are physically closed right now. Yet, many teachers employed in government schools have tried to teach their students through WhatsApp, YouTube, loudspeakers, etc. Some teachers have been attempting to maintain the learning cycle for the children in villages by carrying whiteboards, books on their scooters and motorcycles. These teachers deserve praise for their efforts, but it also has to be seen whether these efforts reduce the new educational divide created by technology.
In educational discourse, there are discussions that technology will change the traditional form of the education system. The National Education Policy-2020 also favours the use of technology in education. According to an estimate, out of about thirty-two crore students in India, less than four crore students can resume their studies on online platforms. Generally, we see that new technology saves time and labour. Technology in the form of a product undoubtedly offers a solution to a particular problem. But at the same time creates new ones.
As soon as schools were closed in March 2020, students across the country got divided into two categories. For those schools and students who have the option of online education, their new academic session started this month, i.e. June. They are learning at home. But there is another group of students who are dependent on government textbooks, uniforms and mid-day meals. They are waiting for schools to open in the second consecutive year. Having access to their complete set of textbooks by the end of the academic year is a remarkable achievement for students in this category.
One can envisage flying high while attending school. This is why social scientists trust the usefulness of schooling for promoting social mobility. Schools and students with economic means for gadgets and the internet have continuity in their formal learning process. But how to make up for the academic drought of students neither holding tablets nor access to the internet?
The discourse about technology, its impact, and constraints in the learning process could not go beyond the needed gadgets and internet speed. In pedagogy, the content, quality of interactions, and constructing knowledge are more prominent issues than the gadget. Should we not discuss the efficacy of technology in accomplishing the goals of education? There have been exhibited models of education technology, but carrying them to a larger scale has always been a challenge. The Head-Start, a computer-based learning intervention of Rajya Shiksha Kendra of Madhya Pradesh, is one example.
The research studies done on this subject do not affirm that online mediums can become an alternative to school. Technology can have a supportive and efficient role in children's learning. But for that to happen, technology has to be used with an instructional design. Is there a strategy consisting of instructional design for the online model?
Due to the increased economic shocks and ambiguity on school opening, thousands of small schools have shut down forever. Thousands of children have withdrawn their names from private schools since March 2020. Millions of enrolled students in government schools may not join back the schools. Several girls and children with disabilities would not be coming back to school after two years. Sitting at home for girls is a more challenging option. Some of them may get trapped in child marriage. A large number of young children have joined the workforce.
In the last two decades, India has achieved meaningful progress in the education sector due to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Right to Education Act, 2009, Millennium Development Goals, and other affirmative schemes for girls and special groups. In 2021, the country is on the brink of losing the mileage gained with the participation of children and parents from disadvantaged sections. Discontinued education has a direct link with social mobility, hampering other aspects of life.
The big question at this juncture is – Who gets the benefits of education technology? The EduTech companies or the children dependent on the state?
(Sanjeev Rai, PhD, is an educationist and author of the book, Conflict, Education and the People's War in Nepal)
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