The survey showed that in rural areas, 37 percent of the sample students were not studying at all – it is 19% in urban areas – and only 8% were studying online regularly. 48 percent of rural children surveyed were unable to read more than a few words.
About 65% of parents in the sample whose children were studying online felt that their child’s ability to read and write had declined since the lockdown began.
The survey found that marginalized communities were most affected. For example, only 4% of rural SC and ST children were studying online regularly, compared to 15% among other rural children.
The School Children Online and Offline Learning (School) survey was conducted this August in 15 states and union territories, including Maharashtra, UP, West Bengal and Karnataka. It was a joint effort of around 100 volunteers across the country with the survey report prepared by a team including economists Jean Dreze and Ritika Khera. The sample was taken from the disadvantaged settlements and hamlets where most of the children attend government schools.
The survey revealed a complete digital divide that set the boundaries of online learning. Only 51% of rural households surveyed had a smartphone. Even among households with smartphones, only 31% or so of children in urban areas were studying online regularly and 15% in rural areas. A major reason was children’s access to smartphones, which are often used by working adults. The survey found that only 12% of rural children surveyed had their own smartphones.
Other issues with online access are poor connectivity and lack of money for “data”. At least 57% of urban children and 65% of rural children in the sample reported “connectivity problems in online classes”. Many had difficulty following content online, with 46% of the urban sample and 43% of the rural sample reporting the issue.
The report titled ‘Locked Out – Emergency Report on School Education’ stressed the need to reopen schools. In the sample 90% urban parents and 97% rural parents wanted schools to reopen. “Most parents feel that their child’s ability to read and write has decreased during the lockdown. They are eagerly waiting for the schools to open. In fact, for many of them, schooling is the only hope that their children’s lives will be better than theirs,” the report said.
There was little evidence of regular study in “offline children” (those who were not studying online at the time of the survey). A large number of people are either not studying at all, or are studying alone at home from time to time. Nearly half of offline children in rural areas were not studying at all at the time of the survey.
Many people reported a drop in literacy levels. At least 65% of parents in the sample whose children were studying online felt that their child’s ability to read and write had declined since the lockdown began. In rural areas, the proportion was 70%. However, children were being promoted from their pre-lockdown level to two grades higher classes, despite a sharp drop in their ability to read and write.
“The survey gives an impression of the enormous damage caused by this extended lockdown – one of the longest in the world. It will take the patient years to repair this damage. Reopening schools is the first step. Thereafter, the schooling system needs to undergo an extended transition period not only to enable children to catch up with a proper curriculum, but also to restore their psychological, social and nutritional well-being,” the report said. Having said.
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