Why are online classes for e Learning in India struggling
Why are online classes for e Learning in India struggling : Who knew a few months back that a pandemic named Coronavirus will come and affect our life so severely. Almost every nation will have to force lockdown. Everything will be shut down, including shops, markets, offices, retail chains, and, most importantly, schools and colleges. And to carry on online education classes will be taken. But why are online classes for e Learning in India struggling? Let’s break down !!
Table of Contents
Why are online classes for e Learning in India struggling
Why am I saying that students are the most sufferer of this lockdown, let’s analyze-
Effect of Lockdown on students
The duration between March and April is considered as most important in the Indian Education system. It’s because, in these months, schools and colleges carry out their session’s final examination. And students are promoted to higher classes. It becomes even more important as in this duration, board exams are conducted, which is a turning point in any student’s carrier.
Meanwhile, students also appear in several examinations like NEET, JEE Advanced, etc., which determines their future. But this coronavirus pandemic has affected them the most.
Introduction of online classes for e Learning in India
There had to be done something to tackle this adverse effect on students of these schools and colleges. Thus, it was decided to opt for online classes for e Learning in India to at least bring back the derailed status of education in this lockdown.
So, What is e Learning
Well, in simple words, e learning is nothing but imparting knowledge and learning through electronic media and digital resources.
e Learning was introduced to break the stereotype of classroom studying and, in recent years, has gained enough popularity. Several distant learning programs have been introduced, which can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
It is not just limited to courses and curricula, but several online portals have established themselves as leading online classes and resource providers for the preparation of competitive examinations.
Let’s come back to our concern on Why are online classes for e learning in India struggling?
Schools and colleges opting for Online classes for e Learning in India
Due to the lockdown in this pandemic of Coronavirus, the only option left was online classes to run the current session. Everyone, including teachers and students, was excited about that.
Resources were arranged for the same.
Parents were instructed to install the app ( Zoom app in most cases) for Online classes for e learning in India.
How students enroll in the classes
After installing the app, students are instructed to input the ID and password. This enrolls them in the ongoing online class.
The reaction of students on these online classes and e learning
Almost every student is enjoying this concept of online classes. The basic structure of being at home, studying, and having to see their friends in this lockdown is fascinating for them. And why won’t it be for a tech-enthusiast generation?
But everything seems so good to be true. The grass is not greener on the other side. Why am I saying that online classes for e learning in India are struggling? Let’s analyze!!
Why are online classes for e Learning in India struggling
There are several factors for online classes for e learning in India to struggle.
1.) A humongous number of students
India has a population of over 138.7 crores. And you will be shocked to know the facts and numbers of schools, teachers, and students.
Numbers of schools in India- 1550006
Number of Teachers in India- 9416895
Number of students in India- 247853688
So, it can be judged from the number, how difficult it is to facilitate digital learning to that scale. Even very few nations have that much of a total population as compared to the population of just school going kids in India.
India’s educational system has so many challenges and limitations. We will try to cover all such aspects of Education system of India in some other article.
2.) Enabling and imparting digital knowledge among the teachers
The major hurdle in online classes and e learning in India is educating the teachers about e learning, making them tech-friendly. India is a nation where the education system is somewhat traditional.
The teachers have been accustomed to the orthodox teaching process, and anything digital makes them uneasy. Thus, forcing them to adapt to such technology without prior training is also something that will not yield proper results.
3.) No proper control on students while teaching online
Well, that’s 100 % true. Proper direct control of students is a must for any class. Everyone will agree that there are few nuisances creating students too, which are hard to handle even in the classroom.
Then how come one expects a proper flow of e learning in online classes. Anyone can hide, change their names, or any type of mischief and can go unnoticed.
Several videos are circulating of such events, which are making it hard for teachers to carry on the classes online.
4.) Flaw in apps
Well, it has been a long debate on the breach of safety and security by using this app. Even the government itself has advised not to use a few apps like “ZOOM “as they can compromise on personal or “professional” data.
Although these companies have come up with some sort of explanation, they cannot be trusted until the government itself releases an official note. Several data leaks have already been registered in many countries through shady apps, and we don’t want our education system to be a victim of that.
5.) Limited Internet penetration across the nation
The most important factor and the biggest hurdle in online classes for e learning in India is the lack of digital infrastructure. In India, if we leave private schools, very few government schools even have the proper sanitation facility.
Thus, expecting full-fledged internet connectivity is just waste.
Leave villages, but even small cities don’t have a good infrastructure for wired broadband services.
Thanks to the “JIO” revolution, we can say almost every part of India is now having Internet connectivity. But is the connection speed provided by these wireless telecom companies so reliable that proper online e Learning could be conducted?
You know that answer very well.
6.) Cost of the data
India is an underdeveloped nation where the per capita income is meager. Everyone in this country cannot afford these high rates of internet data. Yeah, I accept that these rates are way cheaper if we compare with other wireless telecom companies in other countries. But still, it is way costly for the lower middle class and daily wage workers.
Also, the data being offered is so less than proper online classroom courses cannot be accessed entirely. 1 GB or 2 GB of information is very less for adequate viewing of videos in better quality.
7.) Availability of resources among the students
Since a considerable population lives under BPL ( Below Poverty Line ), expecting them to own a laptop, computer, or just a smartphone is baseless. Even to make students reach the school daily, the “Mid Day Meal” welfare scheme for students is being adopted by the government.
Status of e learning in Private schools in cities
On the contrary to the above points, there is a sign of relief too if we consider private schools. Private schools in India portray a different picture. These schools have proper infrastructure both physically and digitally.
Even the teachers are well trained and qualified to conduct online classes. And students, too, have at least a basic knowledge of these digital learning. Bigger cities also have proper wireless internet connectivity.
But still, the financial disparity prevails there too, which is very hard to address in such a short span.
With all being said, Online classes and e Learning can have a revolutionary effect on the Indian Education system. Let’s see that too !!
Advantages of online classes and e Learning
1.) The best advantage of online classes and E learning has the option to learn from any part of the world.
Anyone can avail of the standard course and learning from a particular institution without compromising on the quality. He/She doesn’t need to settle with meager educational resources available in his/her locality.
2.) Anyone can carry on his work while studying.
Even if a person is earning his livelihood through some work and cannot afford to leave that, he can enroll in such classes and learn when he is free.
3.) With the advancement of such digital e Learning classes, the cost of education reduces.
We can see even now that many courses are being offered for free by a few online educators. Many online portals like Youtube are being used for that purpose.
4.) Development and emergence of new opportunities.
These online classes for e learning have provided an excellent opportunity for many educators to expand their levels globally. Also, it’s a better opportunity for learners, too, as they get quality knowledge which they can use and implement in their respective fields.
5.) Digital expertise and awareness development in school and college students.
India lags behind the many countries in tech awareness due to the financial and social aspects. But with the advancement of these online classes and digital presence, students living in remote villages are getting the opportunity to learn a lot.
These students don’t have enough resources to migrate to bigger cities to study in well-established schools and colleges. But enrolling in these classes can solve this issue to some extent.
6.) Online certification and certificate of participation
These” genuine” e Learning portals also provide some sort of certification and, if not, then certification of participation. Thus, it can offer the opportunity to have yourself exposed to many companies and corporations. And thus, it has helped many in acquiring a job too.
So, a piece of pro advice to enroll in genuine and those courses which offer such certifications. But some portals provide good knowledge without accreditation. So, make your choice according to your need.
7.) Competing among the developed nations in this tech revolution
The world is experiencing a paradigm shift in every aspect of life, and technology is a crucial reason for that. Our education system should be capable enough to shift ( at least ) partially to online classes and digital learning to be in the race with such advancements.
The rapid growth in infusing digital content has acted as a catalyst in the advancement of e learning in India too. Thus, a systematic unfolding of online classes and e learning in India must be carried out from the grass-root level.
Conclusion
After going through all the factors, we get an in-depth view of why online classes for e learning in India are struggling. India is an underdeveloped nation with limited resources. The pandemic Croronavirus has affected the entire world, and India is no different.
The only way to safeguard the people in the initial phase is a lockdown. Every sector, including the education sector, got affected by it. Students both from schools and colleges are not able to carry on their studies smoothly as they used to do. The completion of the syllabus in the current session seemed very difficult. And to counter that, online classes for e learning have been adopted by schools and colleges.
Since no one knew that any pandemic named corona is going to hit, so there was no proper training for digital classes and e learning among the teachers and students. India already lags in this digital infrastructure, and adopting them in such a short span is challenging.
Still, we must appreciate these teachers, parents, and the government for trying to adopt this method of teaching so that students would not suffer. Challenges are everywhere, and one who fights it comes a winner, and so will use your education system too will.
If you liked this article on online classes, e learning, and challenges in digital mode of education in India, please comment below and share.
Also, do check our article on the top 10 advantages of lockdown in India and Ordinance against attacks on doctors and health workers.
