India, which possesses the second-largest school system after China, has been undergoing a big transition amid the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing academics to rethink ideas and implement reforms.
Be it switching from traditional classrooms to online study, training teachers in new learning technologies, or switching from rote learning (learning by memorising) to a practical mode of learning, schools and colleges are revamping their ways of educating pupils.
However, recent reports by UNESCO revealed that over 320 million students in India have been adversely affected by the transition to the e-learning model.
On National Education Day, several education experts have told Sputnik that the COVID-19 pandemic is the "tipping point" for reform of the Indian education system.
Digitisation of Education
While the COVID-19 pandemic has opened the gates to innovative methods of transmission of knowledge through e-learning models not just in cities but in remote areas of India, creating the right infrastructure for online education has been the biggest challenge.
"Several people living in areas don't have good internet connectivity, and government-run schools are not well-equipped with digital infrastructure. Moreover, access to devices is also a challenge, especially in families with more than one child", says Sonya Ghandy Mehta, director of the Pathways World School in the state of Haryana.
"The digitisation of education has led to a digital divide especially for those belonging to underprivileged backgrounds living in remote and rural regions", she adds.
With the advent of e-learning models in schools, the adaptability to digital learning is another big challenge for students and teachers.
Nidhiluxmi, co-founder of the Achilles Centre of English in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, opines that both teachers and students are not very well versed in digital literacy.
"There is no room for bookish knowledge and the need of the hour is to focus on making our education system more practical and real life-oriented", she tells Sputnik.
"It needs a collaborative approach for a continued and uninterrupted teaching-learning process. Soft skills such as communication, initiative, productivity, leadership skills have become more relevant in the online mode. The education sector should now be looking out for technological advancements for remote teaching across India", Nidhiluxmii adds.
For ed-tech companies, the biggest roadblock is the misconception that digital education is here to replace traditional pedagogy.
"Ed-tech today is complementing the traditional educational system as the tech-led renovation has accelerated the administrative processes, optimising the curricula by aligning it with dynamic developments in the industry, and providing students with 24/7 on-demand, online learning as well as a skill support system", Chief Product Office Rajesh Bysani at the online learning platform "Brainly", explains.
Revising Students' Curriculum
Monica Malhotra Kandhari, the managing director of MBD Group, one of the largest education publishing houses and learning platforms in India, emphasises the need to revise the syllabus for students.
"Students have lost interest in studies and forgotten what they have learned. To tackle this, blending learning is the future and we must revise the syllabus keeping in mind learn by doing things model", Kandhari says.
She further says that cohesive learning should be designed in such a way that people don't have to do rote learning.
"The vocational courses can't be online, and you not only need practical learning but trained instructors as well to teach".
With the new wave of e-learning, the need for cybersecurity education has dramatically increased as several universities have made it an integral part of their curriculum to create awareness in students, Roy Zur, the CEO of the cyber-education firm, ThriveDX SaaS, says.
Impact on Psychological & Social Development of Students
While online learning ensured the continuation of students' academic growth, their social, emotional, and physical development was impacted.
According to a UNICEF 2021 report, the social and emotional well-being of 33% of children aged between 5 to 13 and 50% of teenagers aged between 14 to 18 was negatively impacted due to school closures.
"Online learning has impacted the overall psycho-social development of the students. The overall development of a student consists of social and challenging environments, engagement, communication, group work, value education, and play and relaxation time with peers, which is missing in e-learning", Mehta says.
Experts say that due to social distancing, students also struggled with emotional and social outbursts which parents found difficult to deal with.
"Teachers had to act as counsellors, facilitators along with the traditional role of mentors. This increased their work pressure as well", Nidhiluxmii opines.
As schools across India are reopening, the need of the hour is to incorporate social and emotional learning into pedagogy.
"Peer knowledge sharing and peer learning is the key. Communicating their ideas and thoughts about different topics would help students become confident and would equip them to solve real-life problems through critical thinking and creativity", Nidhiluxmii adds.
Teacher Training
Experts feel that there is a need to increase the knowledge of teachers.
"With frequent training and workshops backed by exposure to international standards of teaching and learning, teachers are sure to grow and regain a commanding position among the rest of the industry leaders. Hence, educational institutions need to give equal focus to the professional development of their educators", Mehta says.
Shishir Jaipuria, the chairman of the Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, shares that to bridge the digital divide and build higher inclusivity in the education system, teachers must become proficient in the information and communications technology (ICT) model, in addition to their subject knowledge.
“The latest Envisioning India 2030 report by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) revealed that India will have around 300 million students in the age group of 4 to 17 years and 140 million students in the age bracket of 18 to 23 years by 2030. This bourgeoning demand can be met only by making education accessible to the far-flung areas of the country,” Jaipuria adds.
Ankit Sanan, the co-founder of the e-learning platform - Inkclick, feels that training teachers in the use of modern e-tools are required to make learning more effective and engaging so that it doesn’t have to be pushed down the throat of students.
“Moreover, long-standing issues of availability of technology and promoting the digital ecosystem must be addressed to ensure equal and adequate access to e-learning platforms for the country to catch up with the advanced economies,” Sanan adds.
Rise in Dropouts
Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in India, over 1.5 million schools have shut down affecting nearly 2.47 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in the country as they have dropped out of their education.
Anirudh Khaitan, the vice chairman of the Khaitan Public School in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, states that the pandemic not only led to the closure of schools and children dropping out, it also caused inequality in learning among girls and boys, among poor and children from prosperous well-to-do families, and across communities with individuals of fluctuating income levels.
"We need to work towards finding more innovative ways to attract students to schools and the process of learning and bridge the gap. For instance, the mid-day meal had proved to be a major turning point organised to attract students to get an education", says Khaitan.