In India, schools have remained shut since March last year when the country went into lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. Affluent private schools and their students switched to online classes seamlessly, but government-run schools have struggled. And their students – often with no laptops or smartphones and patchy…
For India’s young generation, the costs of school closure amid Covid-19 are mounting
India has seen a lot of suffering in the last year and a half. But are we setting ourselves up for another prolonged and needless suffering well after Covid-19 recedes? Is school closure a necessary step to control the spread of Covid-19? It is high time to ask and answer…
What Freedoms, Which Schools for the Millions of Abandoned ‘Offline’ Children?
All state governments need a quick appraisal of the situation of schools in districts and blocks to ensure immediate responsibility for necessary action. After a year and a half of closure, some states have announced plans to reopen schools in the coming weeks – though not for those who have…
India Can’t Keep Citing the Pandemic to Deprive Children of Education
It has already been a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education. It is high time that governments come up with innovative solutions to deal with the emerging situation.
Rise in dropouts a worrying sign
Globally, UNESCO has estimated that 24 million additional students and youth may drop out or not have access to schools due to the pandemic’s economic impact alone. In Karnataka, NGOs have found several students working as casual labourers to augment the lost income of their poor parents.
We Need Caring Schools to Bring Back Millions of ‘Offline’, Pushed-out Children
There is a strong call for governments to reopen schools. A large majority of parents who have experienced the devastating impact of the pandemic on health and livelihoods are acutely anxious about the future of their children abandoned by schools, now losing confidence and interest in studying. On the other…
Hazards of not reopening schools too serious to be ignored, says parliamentary panel
The committee has noted that the closure of schools has not only impacted social fabric of families in a negative manner, it has also increased involvement of children in household chores. The seriousness of the matter should not be overlooked and a well balanced reasoned view may be taken for opening…
India must allow children to return to classrooms
Parents’ fears are legitimate, but children have suffered huge learning losses. It is the responsibility of the government to find the best and safest ways to reopen schools.
Over 1.3 lakh children not going to school in Karnataka: Survey
As many as 1,26,245 children (3 to 6 years) living in rural areas and 8,718 kids (6 to 18 years) in urban localities are not attending school, the high court was informed.
COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy
This report briefly reviews the relevant literature on educational settings that have features in common with how education is occurring during the crisis and emerging evidence on opportunity gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to propose a three-pronged plan