The Double-Edged Sword of Digitization: How COVID-19 Transformed India's Education System

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for change in many sectors, and education is no exception. In India, the pandemic led to the closure of schools, affecting millions of students. The government's response was to focus on centralization and digitization to mitigate the educational loss. However, this approach has had mixed results, with some arguing that it has widened the gap between privileged and marginalized communities.

The Dark Side of School Closures

The pandemic led to a significant increase in school dropouts, particularly among marginalized communities. The dropout rate rose from 1.8% in 2018 to a staggering 5.3% in 2020. Schools often serve as safe havens for children from these communities, providing not just education but also a routine, safety from child labor, and for girls, a way to avoid early marriage. The closure of schools disrupted these safety nets, leading to increased stress, substance abuse, and a decline in the desire to pursue education among many children.

The Quality of Education Takes a Hit

Post-pandemic assessments reveal a decline in educational quality. For instance, 92% of students from grades 2–6 lost at least one specific language ability, and 82% lost at least one mathematical ability. The situation was even worse for grade 10 students, only 13% of whom scored more than 50% in mathematics.

The Limits of Digitization

While digitization was seen as a solution to bridge the educational gap, it has its limitations. Only 27.5% of students had access to digital devices, and among them, only 15.8% found the online learning experience to be good. The shift to digital learning also led to a transformation in the role of teachers, reducing them to mere conduits of information and undermining the importance of engagement and dialogue in education.

Equity and Quality: Two Sides of the Same Coin

The pandemic has highlighted the need for an education system that is both equitable and high-quality. Without addressing the systemic issues of inequality, efforts to improve the quality of education are likely to fail. A rights-based approach focused on equality and universality can help ensure that all children have equal opportunities to succeed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities in India's education system. While digitization and centralization were seen as solutions, they have also revealed the limitations of such approaches. The need of the hour is a holistic strategy that addresses both the quality and equity of education to ensure that no child is left behind.