Education gap widens in India

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the closure of schools in India during the Code 19 epidemic, and the lack of smartphones and internet facilities for students have exacerbated the divisions in education and jeopardized the future of young people.

UNESCO adds that about 70% of students in India do not have smartphones and other devices to enable them to take online classes, while the majority of students have problems with poor internet access or have no access to it at all. There is no facility. This is especially the case in rural areas.

"Students and teachers need to be brought back to schools immediately," UNESCO said in a report on the state of education in India. The report further states that about 40% of parents cannot afford the internet, which has hampered the learning process and thus widened the gap in the education sector among different sections of society. 

According to UNESCO, the massive economic downturn and job losses have forced people to flee their homes in rural areas, leaving families in poverty. Under these circumstances, the problems of the children increased and they faced malnutrition while the girls were married prematurely.

Education gap widens in India

According to the report, private educational institutions were most affected and did not receive any government assistance. Many poor families send their children to these schools for better education, but limited economic activity has prevented parents from paying for these schools.

During the fiscal year ending March 2021, the Indian economy shrunk by 7.3%. It was the worst economic downturn since independence from British rule in 1947. Private school teachers faced pay cuts or job losses. About 30% of the total 9.7 million teachers in India teach in private educational institutions. This situation is caused by parents dropping students out of school or sending them to government-aided schools.

UNESCO has urged India to recognize teachers as front line workers in the fight against the epidemic and to improve working conditions for them so that better results can be achieved in the field of education. UNESCO says "quality education will be the main challenge of the next decade."

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