At least 27% students do not have access to smartphones, laptops for online classes: NCERT

Approximately 27% of students cited the non-availability of smartphones and laptops, while 28% of the stakeholders complained about intermittent or lack of electricity as a hindrance in online learning, according to an NCERT survey.

More than 80% of students and teachers are using mobile phones for learning and teaching since schools moved online during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, revealed the survey.

Poor internet connectivity, difficulty in sharing or using content for online classes using mobile phones and lack of knowledge of using devices for effective educational purposes were the key hindrances in e-learning.

The survey also found that an average of nearly one-third of the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya School and CBSE found online classes either difficult or burdensome. Nearly one-third of the parents who participated in the survey also concurred with the students.

An average of 30.73% of students across the three categories of schools found the online classes joyful while the rest found experience satisfactory.

As many as 18,188 students, 3,543 school teachers, 253 school principals and 12,614 parents covering the three categories of schools participated in the survey.

“The maximum number of stakeholders has opted for mobile phones as a medium for teaching-learning during the Covid-19 period,” the survey said referring to the students, teachers, principals and parents who participated in the survey.

In Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV), 84% of students and 88% of teachers used mobile phones, while the number for Navodaya Vidyalayas (NV) was 87.7% students and 73.4% teachers. In CBSE schools, 82% of students and 81% of teachers used mobile phones for learning and teaching activities.

Maths appeared to be the most difficult subject to understand for students in the online classes. In KV schools, 39.5% of students faced problems in learning math, 25% faced difficulty in studying science and 14.5% had trouble learning languages.

In CBSE school, the 45.20% students faced problems studying maths, languages (30.60%) and science (20%), while the numbers for NV were 33.6% (maths), 17.5% (language) and 31.8% (science).

“Since, mathematics contains a number of concepts which require interaction, continuous support, monitoring from the teacher and these aspects were lacking in the online mode of teaching,” the NCERT said.