India’s Education Gap Widens Amid Covid‑19
According to a new UN report, the pandemic has left more than a quarter of a billion Indian students without access to online learning, deepening a divide that could have serious long‑term consequences for youngsters across the country.
School Closures Rock the Classroom
Since March, roughly 248 million students were shut out of school. While some states have started easing lockdowns as infections fell and vaccination rolls picked up, many kids still miss out.
A startling 70 percent of pupils don’t even own a smartphone or tablet to join virtual classes. In rural regions, most families face poor or non‑existent internet connections.
Parents Feeling the Pinch
- Nearly 40 percent of parents cannot afford internet costs.
- Economic hardship has pushed many families into poverty, which feeds into malnutrition and, tragically, early marriage for girls.
- Job losses and a 7.3 % drop in the economy for the year ending March 2021 intensified the problem.
Private Schools Hit Hard
Private institutions, often the last resort for lower‑income families seeking better education, lack government funding. When parents are unable to pay fees, students are forced to leave or shift to subsidised public schools.
Teachers in the Skies (Literally)
Private schools employ about 30 percent of India’s 9.7 million teachers. Salary cuts and layoffs have left many of these educators scrambling. Unesco urges India to recognise teachers as frontline workers and improve their working conditions to elevate educational outcomes.
The Way Forward
“Quality of education is the core challenge of the next decade,” the report concludes, calling for strategic plans to bring students—and their teachers—back into classrooms, both physical and digital.
