Digital education no match to classroom teaching, assert MLCs

‘Attempts being made to centralise, and communalise education sector’

MLC K.S. Laxman Rao addressing a workshop on National Education Policy, in Vijayawada on Saturday. | Photo Credit: G.N. RAO

Digital education can never be a substitute for classroom teaching, said Progressive Democratic Front MLC V. Balasubramanyam, on Saturday.

Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on “National Education Policy-Alternative Measures”, he faulted the government plans to impart digital education on students in partnership with Byju’s and said there could be no replacement for teachers in a classroom.

Citing 22,000 vacant teacher posts in schools, he said implementation of GO 117 would create more than an additional 20,000 vacant posts. How would this contribute to improvement of the quality of education in schools? he questioned.

Mr. Balasubramanyam said neither the NEP-2020 nor the Right to Education spoke about restructuring of primary education, and yet the government was going ahead with the mapping of Classes 3,4 and 5 to the close-by high schools. He said the measures being rolled out by the government in the name of reforms would in fact debilitate the education sector.

“How does one expect the quality to improve after reducing the strength of teachers and increasing the workload on them,” he asked.

MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao said education should serve as a tool to bridge the gap between people of various sections in the society, but some of the key components of the NEP would widen the gap. He alleged that attempts were being made to centralise, commercialise and communalise the education sector.

A.P. Degree Colleges’ Teachers’ Association leader Rajagopal said certain parts of NEP would violate the secular and democratic fabric of the school education system.

Chief Editor of Aikya Upadhyaya magazine P. Babureddy presided over the meeting, while AP United Teachers’ Federation (UTF) State president N. Venkateswarlu, general secretary K.S.S. Prasad, Anganwadi Workers’ Union State secretary Subbaravamma, Jana Vignan Vedika State general secretary G. Muralidhar, Private Teachers’ Association secretary Noor Mohammed, Democratic Youth Federation of India State leader Jayendra, Student Federation of India State general secretary Ashok and a host of others were present.