New Delhi: A national survey revealed that only 20 per cent children (aged between 5 and 18 years) had access to remote education during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Regional think tank working on digital policy issues across the Asia Pacific, LIRNEasia, in association with a policy-oriented economic policy think tank, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), carried out the survey.
The findings of the survey were made public during a virtual launch event on November 12. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), through a joint grant given to three regional think tanks in Asia, Africa and Latin America, funded the study.
According to the 2021 survey, access to education was greater among students living in urban areas, from well-to-do families, with more educated household heads, and in higher grades, reported The Telegraph, Kolkata.
Most of the 20 per cent had access to education during school closures through multiple channels. However, only 55 per cent students (of the group that received some education) took part in live (real-time) online lessons, while 68 per cent had access to recorded video lessons and 75 per cent had information and assignments communicated to their smartphones via WhatsApp.
It may also be noted that 58 per cent of these students were in touch with schools through offline channels. The rest 80 per cent of children were, however, left in the lurch.
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