27% pupils without smartphones, laptops
New Delhi, August 20
At least 27 per cent students do not have access to smartphones or laptops to attend online classes, while 28 per cent students and parents believe lack of proper electricity supply is one of the major concerns hindering teaching-learning, according to a survey by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Irregular power supply too a hindrance
- 28% students and parents believe lack of regular electricity supply hinders teaching
- About 36% of the students use textbooks and other books
- Laptops are the second most favoured option among teachers and principals
- TV, radio least utilised devices as studying aid amid pandemic
The survey with over 34,000 partcipants, including students, parents, teachers and principals from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodyaya Vidyalas and CBSE-affiliated schools, has pointed out that lack of knowledge of using devices for effective educational purposes and teachers not being well-versed with online teaching methodologies, caused hindrance in the learning process.
“Approximately, 27 per cent of the students mentioned the non-availability of smartphones and laptops. The maximum number of stakeholders have opted for mobile phones as a medium for teaching-learning during the Covid-19 outbreak,” the survey by the NCERT said.
“About 36 per cent of the students used the textbooks and other books available with them. Laptops were the second most favoured option among teachers and principals. Television and radio were the least utilised devices in the pandemic situation. The absence of enriched interaction between the teacher and students was one of the reasons as identified by the stakeholders,” it added.
The survey noted that almost all of the responsive states use physical (non-digital) mechanisms to track the progress of learners with majority of them either practising home visit by teachers or systematic parental guidance via phone calls.
“About half of the students stated that they did not have the school textbooks,” it said. — PTI
