India’s expanding education system can benefit greatly from data collection and analysis but also faces related challenges and risks like poor data privacy, outdated technology, and data fragmentation, found new research conducted by Aapti Institute and Mozilla and funded by USAID.
According to the report, data collection efforts are fragmented, with multiple bodies and authorities reaching out to schools at different times for data.
Schools often struggle with the practical application of data. The digital divide poses a significant barrier, especially in rural and underprivileged regions, leading to data gaps which result in skewed policy decisions.
The current data collection model is labour-intensive and fraught with challenges, from manual data entry to the logistical nightmare of paper-based records management.
The involvement of multiple stakeholders, each with different levels of data access and handling capabilities, creates serious data privacy and security risks.
The report recommend the formation of a central agency responsible for the annual collection of educational data through a standardised and rigorous process, coupled with the promotion of open data principles.
Teachers undertaking data entry tasks should receive financial incentives for the additional workload.
It also recommends having data specialists in each administrative block and reallocating budgets more effectively towards annual training of IT staff and teachers. It advises establishing a bottom- up feedback loop.
Mozilla and Aapti recommend developing a standardised scoring system for benchmarking schools. This would allow schools to recognise their effectiveness in utilising the collected data.
“Globally, we’ve seen a rapid increase in the use of digital tools to drive development, but not as much emphasis on the reliability of the data underpinning such tools. Ensuring access to clean, participatory data is an essential component of our work to foster open, inclusive, secure and rights-respecting digital ecosystems that enable people to thrive,” said Chris Burns, Chief Digital Development Officer at USAID.
“India has one of the largest education systems in the world, and data plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping its policies and interventions. When handled responsibly, this data can transform educational outcomes for the better. But there are also significant risks, from mismanagement to misuse. Our investigation explores how to unlock positive transformation while mitigating harms,” said Mehan Jayasuriya, Senior Program Officer at Mozilla.
The research, titled “Strengthening Data Ecosystems in Indian Schools,” was carried out over the course of nine months across 10 states. The Indian school education system includes over 1.49 million institutions, from grade schools to universities, and serves more than 265 million students.
