80% reported lower learning during e-classes, says survey

NEW DELHI: At least 80% of students aged between 14 and 18 years reported lower levels of learning at home during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to when they attended classes in schools, a survey conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) across six Indian states revealed. The survey report released on Thursday also warned that approximately 8% of children are not likely to return to schools in the future.

“Most parents and adolescents feel that students learn less through remote learning than they would in school. 76% of parents of students aged 5-13 years and 80% of adolescents aged 14-18 years report that students are learning somewhat less or significantly less than they would in school... 67% teachers perceive students to have fallen behind in their overall progress compared to where they should if schools were open,” the report said.

Classes were shifted to virtual platforms as schools across the country remained shut for over one-and-a-half years in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Centre had allowed state governments to decide on reopening of schools keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation, in October last year. While several states had partially resumed physical classes, there was a complete closure again in April this year after a second wave of the disease hit the country.

With an improvement in the Covid-19 situation again amid drop in cases, several states and Union territories such as Union territories such as Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Telangana, have reopened schools to resume physical classes.

The survey titled “Rapid assessment of learning during school closures in the context of Covid-19” was conducted through computer-assisted telephonic interviews in six states, mainly Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, between August and September last year. A total of 6,435 respondents, including parents, adolescents and teachers participated in it.

The report also said that 10% of students did not have access to devices such as a smartphone, feature phone, television (TV), radio, or laptop/computer. “Even when students have access to devices, awareness around using them for remote learning may be low,” the report said.

The survey also revealed that 8% of teachers do not have a personal smartphone or laptop and as many as 33% of teachers said they saw no benefits of remote learning.

“The prolonged school closure has caused many children to miss out on learning, social interaction and playtime which are essential to their overall development... we need to focus on rapidly building the capacities of teachers who can support learning both in the classroom as well as at home more effectively,” UNICEF India representative Dr Yasmin Ali Haque said.