Context
Only 20% of school-age children in India had access to remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic, of whom only half participated in live online lessons, according to a new national sample survey by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and LIRNEAsia, a think tank focused on digital policy.
Key-Findings
- Drop-outs: 38% of households said at least one child had dropped out of school due to COVID-19.
- Poor accessibility: The survey found that although digital connectivity shot up 40% during the pandemic, low access to devices, poor signal and high costs prevented most children from reaping the benefits.
- No educational services to the enrolled: Among children aged 5-18, it was found that 80% of those who were enrolled in schools before the pandemic did not receive any educational services at all during school closure.
- Lower socioeconomic classes affected: The situation was significantly worse among those from lower socio-economic classes, where the head of the household had lower education levels, and among rural households.
- Among the 20% who received an education, only 55% had access to live online classes, while 68% had access to recorded audio or video lessons.
- Smartphone usage: Three-fourths of the students had work sent to them over a smartphone, usually via WhatsApp, and 61% via text messages.
- Teachers’ availability: Almost 70% had contact with their teachers via phone calls.
