Only 1% poor students in rural India watched educational TV: Survey

The survey found that only 8% students from underprivileged households in urban parts of the country watched educational broadcasts on television channels

Nearly one-third students in poor households in urban and rural India were not attending online classes regularly because they did not have their own smartphone, a new survey has found.

The survey found that only 8 per cent students from underprivileged households in urban parts of the country watched educational broadcasts on television channels, while the proportion was just 1 per cent in rural hamlets.

The School Children’s Online and Offline Learning (SCHOOL) survey, conducted in August this year, covered 1,362 poor households in 15 states. The findings are presented in a report ‘Locked Out: Emergency report on School Education’.

The survey found that in rural areas, only 8 per cent were studying online regularly, 37 per cent were not studying at all, and about half were unable to read more than a few words.

The reasons were that many students did not own a smartphone, mobile connectivity was poor, they did not have the money to pay ‘data’ packages, schools were not sending study material or online education was too hard to grasp for some.

An overwhelming majority of parents -- 98 per cent in rural hamlets and 90 per cent in urban slums -- wanted the schools to reopen as soon as possible, the survey found.

Even among the underprivileged households, the figures were “much worse” for Dalit and Adivasi families than for others, be it for online education, regular study, or reading abilities, claimed the survey.

For instance, only 4 per cent of rural SC/ST children were studying online regularly, in comparison to 15 per cent among other rural children.

In urban areas, about half of the children currently enrolled in Grades 3-5 were unable to read more than a few words, while in rural areas, 42 per cent were unable to read a single word.

Schools and other educational institutions across the country have been closed for over a year and a half since the onset of the pandemic.

As the pandemic ebbed in parts of the country, several states have started reopening schools in a phased manner from September.

A majority of children – 51 per cent in urban areas and 58 per cent in rural areas – had not met their teacher at all during the 30 days preceding the survey.

However, the survey also found initiatives by some teachers of convening small group classes in the open, recharging phones of students who were short on cash, or even lent their phones for online study.

The survey conducted in 15 states and union territories – including Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal – was a joint effort of nearly 100 volunteers across the country.

The report was prepared by a coordination team of economists that include Jean Drèze and Nirali Bakhla.