Digital Education Barriers In Rural India

“True education must correspond to the surrounding circumstances, or it is not healthy growth,” said the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

In just one sentence, he effortlessly explains the need for educational institutions to keep evolving and meeting the demands of students and their development. While there have been many advancements, the present Covid-19 crisis has had a major impact on the education sector. The entire world was forced to make a switch to digital education. While this has often been considered a viable solution in urban India, it is not the same for rural areas.

Even the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 focuses on digital learning as a substitute to the traditional classroom model for interaction between teachers and students. While there are numerous benefits of digital education, the barriers are still manifold to make education a complete online phenomenon in rural areas.

Here are some of the barriers explained:

No Infrastructural Support:

Most rural areas do not have facilities for internet connections or a stable flow of electricity. Some remote villages still do not have an electricity connection. Another major issue is that the people in those areas lack the knowledge to recognize and use digital devices.

Lack of access to devices

In digital learning, it is crucial to ensure access to accurate devices for each student to avail digital content. In rural areas, only a small section of people can access laptops or computers. Even students with access to desktops and laptops, may not have access to an internet connection.

Apart from that, the phone screens available to them are not favourable enough for long learning hours. In households with more than one child, they would have to share the device or one would have to sacrifice classes while the other learns.

Inadequate Skills:

Teachers in rural areas who are not equipped to operate digital platforms is another factor slowing the advancement of digital education. However, teachers are averse to adopting these educational methods because they lack the necessary training.

Bridging this divide

To enhance digital literacy and ensure youngsters get continued access to digital education in rural areas several efforts were taken. One such initiative was Bharat e Shiksha carried out by BharatCares, (a CSRBOX Foundation).

They have launched Digital Learning Centres at multiple locations and aim to make quality education accessible to underprivileged students. The program is currently targeted at government schools with a special focus on students between classes 6 to 10.

Classes are conducted using educational content loaded in smart TVs. However, students also receive access to mentored learning which is conducted through a network of Bharat e-Shiksha Volunteers (BEVs). Students receive six hours of learning every day - three hours through smart devices and the other three through mentored learning.

To impart life skills and for personal development, the organisation also conducted virtual sessions on topics like menstrual health, the importance of self-esteem, awareness of underage drinking, bullying, mental health, nutrition, career development and so on