Digital education? About 80% children may find themselves 'excluded', webinar told

Dr Manish Jain at the webinar

By Our Representative
A webinar organized by the Right to Education (RTE) Forum on "Quality education through digital learning: Grassroots reality" has been told that nearly 80 per cent of children are at the risk of being excluded from as a result of the excessive stress on digital learning.
Stating this, national convenor, Right to Education (RTE) Forum, Ambarish Rai, said, "Digital education cannot be an option of school. The school gives us a sense of sociality and reduces the feeling of non-equality and high-pitchedness.”
Dr Manish Jain, who is with the Department of Educational Studies, Ambedkar University, Delhi, said, "Reports coming from many sources across the country show how annoying online learning courses and sessions are proving for both children and parents. Even in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, barely 50 percent children are able to connect with digital platforms.”
Prof Poonam Batra of the Central Institute of Education, University of Delhi, said, digital education has been accepted as an option, which is not a good sign, raising doubts whether it would fulfill the goal of universalisation of education. Dr Batra called it a neoliberal ploy to increasingly influence the dominant view of education.
Smriti Sharma, assistant professor, department of elementary education, Lady Shri Ram College, wondered where would deprived communities find themselves in digital education. Calling education “an important factor of social change”, she said, “Excessive emphasis on digital education will push the already marginalized people out of the realm of education.”
The webinar was attended by around 325 participants from across the country.

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