Better utilization of e-education

Though none wanted it to be availed of under such circumstances but COVID-19 pandemic and resultant mandatory lockdowns brought into greater focus the advantages of eeducation. Students, generally speaking, did not as such suffer on account of closure of schools as a precautionary measure. However, it also is a fact that while most of the students benefitted from eeducation and “attended classes” in absolutely comfortable manner right from their homes, there were thousands living in rural and far flung areas or those even in urban areas who could not afford necessary infrastructure to avail of such facilities. However, the brighter part of the matter especially about our rural areas in this connection has unfolded the reality of increased use of smart phones in these areas by students from 36.5 percent in 2018 to 62 percent in the year 2020. However, still if we go by the pre-budget economic survey and peruse its findings on the issue, it becomes all the more important that online schooling should reduce inequalities rather than promoting them even in negligible measure. What was, therefore, needed was a better planning, utilization and management of digital (mini) revolution in our education sector so that a divide between rural and urban, gender, income groups, age and the like got considerably reduced and educational outcomes through this mode became really encouraging .In a country as vast as India engaging of crores of students and teachers in this pursuit even under the trying conditions of COVID19 pandemic is in itself a model for other countries to emulate especially when it was more or less the first experience at such a vast canvas.