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Mahesh

18/01/24 10:22 AM IST

How smartphones can make education inclusive

In News
  • The recently released Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023 shows that about 89 per cent youth in the surveyed age group of 14-18, said they have a smartphone at home.
  • An even higher proportion — 92 per cent — said that they can use a smartphone.
Technology advancement
  • The idea of education anytime anywhere is now being put to test.
  • Universal elementary school enrollment has been achieved in India and we are on our way to achieving universal secondary and higher secondary enrollment.
  • But, as ASER first reported in 2005, enrollment or schooling is not the same as learning.
  • Also, the 2023 report points out, half of these adolescents start working part time after completing Class X or the age of 15-16.
  • Although the education policy talks about greater flexibility in entering and re-entering the formal education process, the need really is for the underprivileged to be able to study while working to earn a living. Open schooling and digital technology is a powerful combination.
  • The open school and open university processes need to be decentralised and strengthened.
  • Rapidly developing technology is going to make it easy not only to teach and learn anywhere-anytime but testing anytime-anywhere should be possible as well.
  • The ASER 2023 survey found that while 56.4 per cent and 31.3 per cent rural students respectively were studying Humanities and Science beyond Class X, only 0.7 per cent reported they were studying agriculture.
  • Agriculture employs over 50 per cent of India’s workforce and ASER 2023 shows that nearly a quarter of all adolescents in the 14-18 age group also work in agriculture while being enrolled in schools or colleges.
  • The need to formally train our youth in advanced skills and knowledge of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, traditionally handed down in families, should be obvious. This is not a matter of skilling for jobs or livelihoods alone.
Way forward
  • Our education system has grown to train students to aim at one purpose — do well in examinations and get jobs. Times are changing.
  • Doing well in examinations and getting jobs will continue to be a goal for a good proportion of youth but life goals that are not connected with academics are also becoming popular.
  • Our system has to evolve to support them. Technology can assist but our mindsets have to change.
Source- Indian Express

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