Issues :

• No clarity on or a timeline for resumption of Schools
• Lack of connectivity as well as a lack of access to e-devices for online classes.Children of the poor, studying in government schools, have been disadvantaged
• Percentage of teachers in the country capable of handling digital platforms for pedagogic purposes is very small.

Some reports on Learning losses :

• Large multi-State study in the United States records that the pandemic “has also prompted some students to leave the public school system altogether”.
• According to a study by the Azim Premji Foundation, in January 2021, covering more than 16,000 children in the age group six to 11 years, and across five States, 92% of children on average have lost at least one specific language ability from the previous year across all classes; the figure is 82% when it comes to mathematical ability

Way forward from international experiences:

• Kenya – Repeat the entire academic year
• Philippines – Extended time for classes on resumption, both in duration of school hours and more calendar days of interaction
• Ontario – Reduce and synthesize the curriculum so that students are able to focus on a few subjects and learn them well
• United Kingdom – National Tutoring Programme, which aims for one on one tutoring
• Accelerated education programmes or “bridge courses”, which condense several months (or even years of schooling) into a few weeks or months

What India needs :

• National rejuvenation programme for elementary education
• Vast body of volunteers engaging in small groups with children from the most disadvantaged sections, working in tandem with schools, which will need to focus on safety measures and average performance