The online education has been opted by large sections of people since there is no option left out to be able to carry on the public education due to the COVID19 pandemic worldwide.
However, when we are confined to go for online education as a whole, it is not obviously an easy task to make it successful as there are lots of constraints laid behind in the country like India.
As we are aware that, these constraints might be related to the competencies and socio-economic challenges. Moreover, these issues are based on urban, rural economics and gender gaps. Hence, this short write up would try to address these issues in reality that hinders in terms of accessing online education.
· Disparities between urban and rural context in terms of access to online education: The foremost issue that we often notice is about the disparities between urban and rural economy that causes a huge differences about infrastructures. In fact, the economic disparities are core factors that influences in terms of access to the online education. Because, the electronic gadgets are essential part of online education, but 24 percent Indians have smart phones while 11 percent of Indian households have computers.
Moreover, accessing to the internet also very minimal in figure as only 24 percent of Indian households have internet facilities. And out of total population 66 percent of Indian households’ lives in village who does not possess high speed of internet services, besides, 15 percent of them possess internet facilities. This facts, enables us to come to the conclusion that, there are big challenges in order to make online education successful in India.
· Disparities of gender in terms of access to online education: Another big social issue that we often face is, gender discrimination and gender bias. These same issues of gender disparities are there when we go for online education. This issue address that males are more accessible and privileged than females not only in social platforms but also in materials. The fact is that, only 33 percent of Indian women have access to internet services while 67 percent of men have. However, a disparity between men and women in rural area is most remarkable as 28 percent of rural women have internet access while 72 percent of men have.
The decision to have online classes for children has received a lot of criticism across the country. For one, it is based on the assumption that everyone has access to a laptop or computer as well as steady internet services to attend these classes. But we know what the reality is.
When it comes to city like Mumbai, we will have more expectation regards to access to technology and internet. But the reality is something different, as reported by online news 'The Indian express, half of all enrolled students in schools run by Mumbai’s civic administration have remained connected with their studies during the lockdown, according to a new report from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) education department, whose findings confirm concerns about the accessibility and effectiveness of online teaching.
Click below to read the full report about BMC (Mumbai):
Click- Only half of all BMC school students accessed online resources amid lockdown:
Having such social issues, is a big complication for any stakeholders and functionaries so as to bring common access to the online education until and unless the respective departments can ensure equal share in terms of goods and privileges for both urban and rural, men and women.
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Satyasing Mushahary
