Use of EdTech in Indian School Education during COVID-19

The pandemic has exposed inequity as an immediate concern. This article draws its insights on ground issues faced by schoolteachers from across the country in their efforts to connect with their students during phases of online teaching at a time of social distancing. By reflecting on these insights, we indicate some aspects that can be focused on for systematic strengthening by the government and other organisations in the coming months, for a relatively seamless and synchronous teaching–learning experience.

This article is based on the Ground Assessment Survey conducted as a part of the Connected Open Online Learning, initiative of TISS, to support teachers, students, teacher educators and student teachers during COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was supported by grants from the PMMMNMTT and the Tata Trusts. The survey team included Ramaa Muthukumaran, Shashank Parimi, Manshvi Palan, Geetha M, Soham Bhattacharya, Dhipthi Dhona and Ramesh Khade.

The Ministry of Education and state governments are struggling to find an inclusive solution to the crisis in school education precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing various “alternative schedules,” “Standard Operating Procedures” and online teaching-based solutions (Times of India 2020; Hindu 2020). The search for a meaningful response is already showing its Janus-faced character primarily on account of the extent to which digital access can be a part of the solution. A divide is emerging as an issue of concern, and estimating the size of this problem is essential if we want to find meaningful solutions to a situation that seems unlikely to return to normalcy and business-as-we-knew-it until March 2020. At a time when accessing new data on the current status of digital access of students and their teachers is difficult, this article presents findings from a small online survey we conducted in which 212 schoolteachers from across the country participated, to understand their situation, teaching–learning conditions and challenges and those of their students, as perceived by them.

The Survey