Problems with Online Education in the Covid Era

In the long run, online education could have been a great thing, bringing down costs, touching remote areas and democratizing educational institutions. But the way it has been thrust on the children of the world today, it may lead to a lot of lasting problems.

The poor still cannot afford it

A large enough device like a desktop or laptop or even a tab. A steady broadband connection with unlimited bandwidth. A quiet place to sit and concentrate. Let’s face it, this is an impossibility for the poor of India. After more than 70 years of Independence, successive regimes have not even managed to run decent government schools to give even outdated syllabus. So for them to provide a fully digital/online education: It’s a pipe dream. Another complication is the mid-day meal scheme. This is one of the greatest innovations to have come out of Indian education. It has transformed crores of lives. It cannot be incorporated into the online education paradigm.

Even the middle class is pushed

With so many working from home in the Covid Era, every middle-class household may require at least 2-4 good screens and a huge amount of bandwidth with everyone doing simultaneous classes/office calls. So a family of four will need four dedicated quiet spaces in the house so as not to disturb each other. What about power cuts? If you miss a class due to an infrastructural problem, you may catch up. But what if you miss an online exam due to that?

Education is not just about classes

Attending classes, reading books and writing exams is just one part of education. It’s about socializing, making friends, team building and getting a taste of the real world in a controlled setting; about the importance of sports, which teaches you so many things and other outdoor programmes. It’s about extra-curricular activities and not having a monotonous existence and doing a lot of things. It’s about having fun.

Children can’t stare at a screen all-day

It’s unhealthy for adults to stare at a screen today, but we have to do it. But at least we didn’t have to do that as kids where most of us had a rich offline world. It’s an adult activity that the kids are adopting at a very young age. If they develop eye problems and headaches, they will find it tough to go on in their adult life. If you have to stare at a mobile screen all day, then God save you!

This is the beta generation

Many processes of civilization have taken decades or even centuries to develop. That way sudden changes are not good. The whole global education system seems to be changing too fast: It’s almost overnight. There are no clear standards. There is too much uncertainty. First people thought that the Covid Era conditions would last a semester or maybe a year. But now it could be many years from 2020 onward. Imagine giving your 10th/12th or crucial degree in these uncertain times. The foundation for higher education may itself become uncertain.

Physical, mental and emotional health

All these translate into health problems for children in their most formative years. Bad for physical health because there are hardly any proper outdoor activities. It is bad for mental health due to staring at a screen all day along with uncertainties in standards, schedules and exams. Bad for emotional health because you are not socializing with people of your own age and hanging out with friends.