Are schools ready for the post-lockdown world?

A survey of government and low-cost private schools in Karnataka highlights the concerns they have post-lockdown, and what support they require from the government and civil society.

For more than two months now, all schools, colleges, and educational institutions in India have been shut, adversely impacting more than 32 crore students across the country. While some schools have shifted to online teaching, low-cost private and government schools do not have the resources to do so. Students, on the other hand, who are under social stress during the lockdown, are not only missing out on their education, but no longer have access to healthy meals and other resources that they had earlier.

A nonprofit, Dream a Dream, conducted a survey with schools in Karnataka, to gauge the impact of COVID-19 on them, and understand their concerns as well as the support they would require to get teaching and learning back on track. The survey was administered to a total of 853 school principals, heads of institutions, and teachers (of three types of schools in the state, as shown below). About 75 percent of the schools were located in rural areas and the rest were in urban areas.

Here are highlights from the report

There are five major areas in which schools from the survey have requested support:

1. Ninety-five percent of the schools want to postpone board exams
The Karnataka government had decided to schedule board exams in end-June. However, the schools surveyed are not ready for the exams—they fear that students would not be able to clear them, given the lack of proper training or mock exams. Many students have also moved back to their home towns or villages due to the lockdown, and schools are unable to contact them.

2. Ninety-two percent of the schools seek reduction of the syllabus for the new academic year
While the states and central government are yet to finalise the dates and specifics of the new academic year, the schools surveyed suggest that considering the loss of instructional time, the syllabus of the coming year could be reduced to ensure that they are able to cope with it in a shorter time frame.

3. Ninety-seven percent of the schools require digital support
There are strong recommendations for schools to begin providing online and remote classes, but none of the schools surveyed have had any experience of teaching online. Many teachers are not trained in handling online classes and as mentioned above, schools are also unable to contact students who have moved back to villages. Therefore, they require help in the form of accessible digital learning solutions and training sessions for teachers.Link to Article