COVID-19 and Education in India

Abstract

The recent crisis of COVID19 has produced undreamt new normals in whatever we pursue in our day to day life. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus a "pandemic". As of 07 August 2020, the spread of this “pandemic” has severely affected 213 countries and territories raising 19,308,752 confirmed cases of infection and 718,597 deaths, globally10 . In case of India, this tally stands at 2,033,847 and 41,685 respectively. The onset of such outbreak has forced people to stay at home and maintain social distancing while avoiding close contact with others. It has compelled the world to experience and weigh the costs and benefits associated with countrywide lockdowns and domestic as well as international travel restrictions. Prominent impact of such restrictions is mostly evident in the education sector as this sector has experienced lockdown for the longest duration. Hence, it is of much interest to understand the coping mechanism adopted by the education sector to combat this unprecedented situation that has adversely impacted the economics of education. As per the recent calculation by UNESCO11, schools that are still shut down due to imposed lockdown affecting almost 106 crore learners across the globe. In India, number of such affected learners count nearly 32 crore. Therefore, a significant change in the education sector is inevitable to keep the sector surviving. As a result, the 'study from home' concept has suddenly become a popular practice and the basic modus operandi of this sector demands massive transformation. The distinctive rise of e-learning has been found to be one indicator of such change. In online mode, teaching is being performed remotely using digital platforms. Thus, it avoids the issue of close contact quite successfully. Moreover, researches have demonstrated that online learning has added value in the process with increased retention of information, lesser scheduling time and savings of set up cost. Some studies have shown that students usually retain 25-60 per cent of learning imparted online compared to 8-10 per cent of what provided in a classroom setting. This is due to the fact that during the process of e-learning students can learn at their own pace, re-visit the discussion, skip or accelerate through concepts as they prefer. Apart from tech companies, schools and colleges are developing innovative pedagogy to make the online environment conducive for learning for the younger generation. No doubt, this involves extensive effort from learners, educators and support providers (i.e. tech companies). However, it can be considered as an initial investment which may reap enough future benefits.