Expressing concern that online schooling does not guarantee equity or quality, well-known academic and former Anna University Vice-Chancellor E.Balagurusamy has written to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal cautioning that online teaching should not be seen as a viable substitute for traditional schooling.
While welcoming the launch of Pragyata, an eight-step framework for online education in the time of COVID-19 lockdown, he pointed out that its real success would depend upon the role and response of the state governments, schools, teachers, parents and quality of digital infrastructure and e-content delivery in institutions.
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He argued that school education must be inclusive. This required setting a basic minimum standard for education that is shared by all students regardless of background, personal characteristics or location. The personal and social circumstances should not prevent students from achieving their academic potential.
However, citing available statistics on families living below poverty line and in single-room households in the country, he said the idea of an inclusive environment is challenged by the prevailing economic conditions. “As most families live in a single or two room houses, it is practically impossible for them to provide an environment conducive for learning. It is a major hindrance for online learning,” Prof Balagurusamy, a former member of UPSC, noted.
Likewise, lack of access to materials, technology, and reliable internet services is a big barrier to remote and rural learners and students from low-income and BPL families. Besides, parents from low income groups without without educational background are likely to find it difficult to support their children’s learning activities at home.
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Online learning environment can create a sense of isolation, he cautioned. “In conventional learning, the act of thinking together in a classroom builds a sense of community and connectedness. This may be missing in a digital learning environment,” he pointed out.
Another area of concern was that most online education providers considered streaming of teaching material as the main form of teaching. However, such “monologues are not the way forward”, the academic contended. Development of creativity, problem-solving skills, leadership skills and social and life skills also become a casualty during online learning as it is an “isolated” process, he said.
Therefore, he recommended to the HRD Minister that online education should not replace traditional teaching process in the long run and instead a blend of online and hybrid teaching could be brought in whereever appropriate.