Technology’s Impact on Education – The Philippines

It’s 2020 and there is no arguing that technology plays a vital role in our lives. Technology does everything from allowing us to explore
the vast expanse of our solar system to helping us kill a few minutes while we wait for our bus. So, it is no surprise that technology has a
major impact on education. Although many schools across the world are taking advantage of technology in the classroom, others are not
so lucky. A technology gap currently exists in schools of the Philippines that is preventing its students from enjoying the advantages
provided by technology in the classroom.

Countless studies have established that technology is a beneficial supplement to the education system. One such study, done by Sean M.
Corcoran, Ed.D, focuses on the effects that tablet apps have on reading instruction of first-grade students. The students using tablet apps
performed better than the ones without these apps. Thus, Corcoran’s research concludes that “the use of tablet apps during reading
instruction had a statistically significant impact on student achievement.” Technology has a positive impact on education, and the people
of the Philippines have taken notice. An article published by The Manila Times highlights a study done by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in
California. This study “showed that students using iPads performed better in math compared to students using traditional textbooks.” The
article goes on to list even more convincing evidence by citing an Oklahoma State University study which “found that 75 percent of
students said use of gadgets enhanced their learning experience.” With so many advantages, it is easy to understand why the Philippines
is looking to increase its use of technology for improving education.
The Philippines as a country would benefit greatly from providing more of its students with high-tech learning tools.
A WorldRemit article explains that “especially in emerging countries, such as the Philippines” it is important that “students can get
familiar with technology at a young age.” This is because technology “sparks many market possibilities – even a chance to compete
against developed economies!” Unfortunately, for impoverished areas of the country, that is not the current reality. An article published
by OffCrowd points out that “Public education and technology are hard to provide, especially where [the] majority of the people are
living beyond the daily means.” The article goes on to inform that a technology gap is present in the local schools of the Philippines and
that this gap has been caused by a “lack of distribution of resources to the poverty line.” Without the proper resources, students in these
lower-income areas will not receive the same educational support as students fortunate enough to come from higher-income regions.

Filipino students suffering from the technology gap are the ones that would benefit the most from these educational tools. Fortunately,
certain conditions do appear to be improving for the Philippines. According to a Rappler article, the internet is becoming more accessible
across the country. As internet access becomes more available, more students will have a chance at a quality education–“for example, a
student in a remote barangay can participate in a virtual class conducted by teachers from the capital.” The article goes on to say that “in
a country where millions are still unable to finish school, it’s hard to overestimate technology’s power in bridging the education gap.
Roadblocks such as time, money, or distance can be swept away with a single device or a free, reliable Internet connection.” By helping
Filipino schools and students increase their access to educational technology, we can help give them the education they deserve.
At Yours Humanly, our mission is to help create a world in which every child in every school has an equal opportunity for success. Our
Bridging Gaps initiative aims to make this dream a reality. Through this initiative, we fund new computer labs, upgrade existing labs,
and provide computer science instructors to areas in need–including the Philippines. For many of us who rely on technology daily, it is
difficult to imagine any part of our lives without internet access and devices. Technological advances have not only made our lives more
convenient, but they have allowed those of us with access to these technologies to make great strides in education. We believe that every
child should have the ability to take advantage of these advances.

Issues Regarding the Educational System

When it comes to influence, the educational system of the Philippines has been affected immensely by the country's colonial history including the Spanish period,
American period, and Japanese rule and occupation. Although having been significantly influenced by all its colonizers with regard to the educational system, the most
influential and deep-rooted contributions arose during the American occupation (1898); it was during this aforementioned period that 1. English was introduced as the
primary language of instruction and 2. A public education system was first established - a system specifically patterned after the United States school system and
further administered by the newly established Department of Instruction. Similar to the United States of America, the Philippines has had an extensive and extremely
inclusive system of education including features such as higher education.

The present Philippine Educational system firstly covers six years of compulsory education (from grades 1 to 6), divided informally into two levels - both composed of
three years. The first level is known as the Primary Level and the second level is known as the Intermediate Level.

However, although the Philippine educational system has extensively been a model for other Southeast Asian countries, in recent years such a matter has no longer
stood true, and such a system has been deteriorated - such a fact is especially evident and true in the country's more secluded poverty-stricken regions.
Nationwide the Philippines faces several issues when it comes to the educational system.
Quality of Education
First of which, is the quality of education. In the year 2014, the National Achievement Test (NAT) and the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) results show
that there had been a decline in the quality of Philippine education at the elementary and secondary levels. The students' performance in both the 2014 NAT and NCAE
were excessively below the target mean score. Having said this, the poor quality of the Philippine educational system is manifested in the comparison of completion
rates between highly urbanized city of Metro Manila, which is also happens to be not only the country's capital but the largest metropolitan area in the Philippines and
other places in the country such as Mindanao and Eastern Visayas. Although Manila is able to boast a primary school completion rate of approximately 100 percent,
other areas of the nation, such as Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, hold primary school completion rate of only 30 percent or even less. This kind of statistic is no
surprise to the education system in the Philippine context, students who hail from Philippine urban areas have the financial capacity to complete at the very least their
primary school education.

Budget for Education

The second issue that the Philippine educational system faces is the budget for education. Although it has been mandated by the Philippine Constitution for the
government to allocate the highest proportion of its government to education, the Philippines remains to have one of the lowest budget allocations to education among
ASEAN countries.

Affordability of Education
The third prevalent issue the Philippine educational system continuously encounters is the affordability of education (or lack thereof). A big disparity in educational
achievements is evident across various social groups. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students otherwise known as students who are members of high and low-
income poverty-stricken families, have immensely higher drop-out rates in the elementary level. Additionally, most freshmen students at the tertiary level come from
relatively well-off families.

Drop-out Rate (Out-of-school youth)

France Castro, secretary of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), stated that there is a graved need to address the alarming number of out-of-school youth in the
country. The Philippines overall has 1.4 million children who are out-of-school, according to UNESCO's data, and is additionally the only ASEAN country that is included
in the top 5 countries with the highest number of out-of-school youth. In 2012, the Department of Education showed data of a 6.38% drop-out rate in primary school
and a 7.82% drop-out rate in secondary school. Castro further stated that "the increasing number of out-of-school children is being caused by poverty. The price
increases in prices of oil, electricity, rice, water, and other basic commodities are further pushing the poor into dire poverty." Subsequently, as more families become
poorer, the number of students enrolled in public schools increases, especially in the high school level. In 2013, the Department of Education estimated that there are
38, 503 elementary schools alongside 7,470 high schools.

Mismatch
There is a large mismatch between educational training and actual jobs. This stands to be a major issue at the tertiary level and it is furthermore the cause of the
continuation of a substantial amount of educated yet unemployed or underemployed people. According to Dean Salvador Belaro Jr., the Cornell-educated Congressman
representing 1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list in the House of Representatives, the number of educated unemployed reaches around 600,000 per year. He refers to said
condition as the "education gap".

Brain Drain
Brain Drain is a persistent problem evident in the educational system of the Philippines due to the modern phenomenon of globalization, with the number of Overseas
Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad at any time during the period April to September 2014 was estimated at 2.3 million. This ongoing mass emigration
subsequently inducts an unparalleled brain drain alongside grave economic implications. Additionally, Philippine society hitherto is footing the bill for the education of
millions who successively spend their more productive years abroad. Thus, the already poor educational system of the Philippines indirectly subsidizes the opulent
economies who host the OFWs.

Social Divide
There exists a problematic and distinct social cleavage with regard to educational opportunities in the country. Most modern societies have encountered an equalizing
effect on the subject of education. This aforementioned divide in the social system has made education become part of the institutional mechanism that creates a
division between the poor and the rich.

Lack of Facilities and Teacher Shortage in Public Schools

There are large-scale shortages of facilities across Philippine public schools - these include classrooms, teachers, desks and chairs, textbooks, and audio-video
materials. According to 2003 Department of Education

Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz, reportedly over 17 million students are enrolled in Philippine public schools, and at an annual population growth rate of 2.3 per cent,
about 1.7 million babies are born every year which means that in a few years time, more individuals will assert ownership over their share of the (limited) educational
provisions. To sum it up, there are too many students and too little resources. Albeit the claims the government makes on increasing the allocated budget for
education, there is a prevalent difficulty the public school system faces with regard to shortages. Furthermore, state universities and colleges gradually raise tuition so
as to have a means of purchasing facilities, thus making tertiary education difficult to access or more often than not, inaccessible to the poor. However, it is worth
taking note of what the Aquino administration has done in its five years of governance with regard to classroom-building - the number of classrooms built from 2005 to
the first half of the year 2010 has tripled. Additionally, the number of classrooms that were put up from the year 2010 to February 2015 was recorded to be at 86,478,
significantly exceeding the 17,305 classrooms that were built from 2005 to 2010 and adequate enough to counterbalance the 66,800 classroom deficit in the year
2010.

In President Aquino's fourth state of the nation address (SONA), he spoke of the government's achievement of zero backlog in facilities such as classrooms, desks and
chairs, and textbooks which has addressed the gap in the shortages of teachers, what with 56,085 new teachers for the 61, 510 teaching items in the year 2013.
However, the data gathered by the Department of Education shows that during the opening of classes (June 2013), the shortages in classrooms was pegged at 19, 579,
60 million shortages when it came to textbooks, 2.5 million shortages with regard to chairs, and 80, 937 shortages of water and sanitation facilities. Furthermore, 770
schools in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao were considered overcrowded. The Department of Education also released data stating that 91% of the 61, 510 shortages in
teachers was filled up alongside appointments (5, 425 to be specific) are being processed

Issues regarding the K-12

There is dispute with regard to the quality of education provided by the system. In the year 2014, the National Achievement Test (NAT) and the National Career
Assessment Examination (NCAE) results show that there had been a decline in the quality of Philippine education at the elementary and secondary levels. The students'
performance in both the 2014 NAT and NCAE were excessively below the target mean score. Having said this, the poor quality of the Philippine educational system is
manifested in the comparison of completion rates between highly urbanized city of Metro Manila, which is also happens to be not only the country's capital but the
largest metropolitan area in the Philippines and other places in the country such as Mindanao and Eastern Visayas. Although Manila is able to boast a primary school
completion rate of approximately 100 percent, other areas of the nation, such as Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, hold primary school completion rate of only 30 percent
or even less. This kind of statistic is no surprise to the education system in the Philippine context, students who hail from Philippine urban areas have the financial
capacity to complete at the very least their primary school education.
The second issue that the Philippine educational system faces is the budget for education. Although it has been mandated by the Philippine Constitution for the
government to allocate the highest proportion of its government to education, the Philippines remains to have one of the lowest budget allocations to education among
ASEAN countries. The third prevalent issue the Philippine educational system continuously encounters is the affordability of education (or lack thereof). A big disparity
in educational achievements is evident across various social groups. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students otherwise known as students who are members of high
and low-income poverty-stricken families, have immensely higher drop-out rates in the elementary level. Additionally, most freshmen students at the tertiary level
come from relatively well-off families. Lastly, there is a large proportion of mismatch, wherein there exists a massive proportion of mismatch between training and
actual jobs. This stands to be a major issue at the tertiary level and it is furthermore the cause of the continuation of a substantial amount of educated yet unemployed
or underemployed people.
The IPS Mindset: Integration of the Personalist, the
Modern, and the Naturalist Perspectives and a Unified
Understanding of the Person and Action
Specifically, IPS presents a different paradigm of understanding the self and action,
which influences how action with maturity is understood. It consists in considering
human beings and human development not in an idealized way, but as they really are,
respectively, abandoning altogether the hypothesis of self-autonomy as a precondition
for self, human action and meaning making, and moral and cognitive maturity itself.

This model is based on an interdisciplinary dialogue between philosophy and

psychology (Akrivou et al., 2016, 2018). The key philosophers for understanding this
proposal are Aristotle, Leonardo Polo, Alfred N. Whitehead, and Wang Yangming, as
well as the psychologists Carl Rogers, Erik Erikson, and Viktor Frankl. The proposal's
basic assumption is the integration of the personalist, the naturalist, and the modern
“mindsets,” so its theoretical premise foundation starts from Polo's three radicals
(fundamentals) that describe the different main approaches to being in the history of
thought. The radical (fundamental root) of nature—based on classical philosophy—
states that the human being has a nature to develop with psychological and biological
dimensions, and that a person is naturally a dependent rational animal; hence, our
reason is chosen by each person based on a teleological concern (the common good).
Secondly, the radical of the person—based on the Christian philosophy—affirms that
the human being has a singularity due to its intimacy and uniqueness, and that we can
rely on our intimacy to lead action with a particular kind of freedom, which is
“freedom for” affirming a relational ontological basis for the self and a transcendental
anthropology regarding what is to be human, i.e., that the person is a unity that pre-
exists action and life itself. Thirdly, the radical of the subject—based on modern
philosophy—is focused on the result or end products of our action; it affirms that the
human being can produce new things instead of developing what (s)he receives.

IPS captures therefore Polo's work main assumption as the philosopher proposes that
all these three “radicals” are present in each action, integrated by the person.
Therefore, human action is an action that is by constitution integrated but different
forms, qualities, and kinds of integration exist, which are available to us based on the
choices we make and how to relate to others and act. Applying these to integrative
human growth, Akrivou et al. (2018) suggest that being and growing as a human
being involves the systemic integration of these fundamentals from within a person as
a unity, which means that knowledge and action are by definition one in the
constitution of the self. It also means that, in this model, the self is understood as a
relational self by its very constitution (which pre-exists even action) and that there is a
unity across cognitive, affective, practical, and ethical aspects of action.

So, based on this last idea, personalist moral psychology is very well-harmonized with
virtue ethics' normative philosophy (Koehn, 1995; Solomon, 1999; Akrivou, 2013).
According to these scholars, (a) personal growth is meaningless outside of the notion
of acting for the common good in the frame of relational inter-personal growth
concerned for the overall growth of specific others (freedom for) as much as one's
own; in fact, the idea that growth happens via autonomous individualist action or
capacities is meaningless in the IPS theory. Secondly, according to this model, (b)
human growth is shaped by assumptions characterizing free and open systems, such
that growth can go in any direction and evolves in processual and responsive moral
dialoguing terms (Akrivou and Orón, 2016).

Integration in IPS needs to happen from within the person: only by being able to
acknowledge everyone as a transcendental and unique human being with the capacity
to be free to love other human beings (not for logical reasons) is it possible for our
relationships to limitlessly grow. Combining (a) and (b) leads to the idea that in the
IPS model, the personal action is not chosen neither from within self-interested
concerns, nor from within a duty and obligation as the logic of exchange but instead it
is the logic of gift which is the driver of action (Akrivou et al., 2018). The authors
(Akrivou et al., 2018) also show that, in fact, the twin model of AS and PS is a
dualistic understanding of the same fundamental root of humanity because they both
capture assumptions with a focus on the mastery of the outcomes of action
(production) in the world that are part of the subject-agent's modern “radical.” Thus,
the pathway for human cognitive maturity from within the subject-agent's self-system
ignores (or weakly respects) the “radical of the person” and the “radical of nature.” As
a consequence, the pathway for human cognitive maturity is narrower and
unsustainable.

Broader human learning and development theory outside the key theories of
development in modern psychology reviewed earlier in this article, including the
works of Rogers (1951, 1961, 1964) and Erikson (1994), are particularly relevant to
illustrate how action with integrity and moral maturity is led from within the IPS
mindset operates. IPS is concerned with relations as a gift freely chosen with a
concern to help the entire whole person emerge as opposed to instrumental relations
within a mastery perspective. Indeed, how this helping–psychotherapeutic relationship
works can be understood via the work of Rogers (1961) who illustrates our argument
that IPS does not present a model of maturity that simply synthesizes, or technically
integrates (Akrivou and Orón, 2016), system 1 and system 2 cognition. From the very
beginning of the therapeutic accompaniment, Rogers seeks that the client enters into
his interiority and makes a growth path from there. This happens by gradually trusting
in how one's humanity is manifested via an experiential path that frees the inner
experiencing focus, and a gradual trust of the immediacy of experience within the
person's organism to free the integrity we all naturally share as persons (Rogers, 1961,
p. 131).

This reference to inner experiencing process that is only facilitated through the logic
of gift in relations is a journey to inner virtue and it is precisely here that Rogers
shows that it takes time, and one has to live and reflect on various experiences and
feelings. IPS agrees with Rogers that growth is only possible through mutual growth
in the relationship (Akrivou and Orón, 2016), but Rogers' humanistic relational
psychoanalysis provides the IPS a useful theoretical pathway toward turning “modern
autonomous selves” into the IPS mindset when a human personal relationship is
deprived of the secure distanced approach of the Cartesian observer and ceases to
master the other while maintaining cognitive control and mastery.

To illustrate, Rogers (in stage six) purports that the journey toward higher IPS
maturity requires the experiential learning that also includes the capacity for
acceptance of “both a feeling and what constitutes its content” (1964, p. 146–8),
which involves the entire abstract and emotional–intuitive cognition of a person
without censoring this from outside-in, but while utilizing human relationships as the
basis of personal growth. At stage seven of Rogers's framework (Rogers,
1951, 1961; Rogers and Dymond, 1954; Gendlin, 1962, 1969, 1978), personal growth
is completed by accepting one's own contradictions and full humanity with “a
growing sense of ownership of the changing feelings (bringing about), a basic trust in
one's own inward … total organismic process” (Rogers, 1961, p. 151).

Blended learning: the new normal and emerging technologies

This study addressed several outcomes, implications, and possible future directions for blended learning (BL) in
higher education in a world where information communication technologies (ICTs) increasingly communicate with
each other. In considering effectiveness, the authors contend that BL coalesces around access, success, and students’
perception of their learning environments. Success and withdrawal rates for face-to-face and online courses are
compared to those for BL as they interact with minority status. Investigation of student perception about course
excellence revealed the existence of robust if-then decision rules for determining how students evaluate their
educational experiences. Those rules were independent of course modality, perceived content relevance, and expected
grade. The authors conclude that although blended learning preceded modern instructional technologies, its
evolution will be inextricably bound to contemporary information communication technologies that are
approximating some aspects of human thought processes.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19):
Schools
Role of children in transmission

The role of children in transmission is not yet fully understood. To date, few outbreaks involving children or schools have been
reported. However, the small number of outbreaks reported among teaching or associated staff to date suggests that spread of
COVID-19 within educational settings may be limited.

As children generally have milder illness and fewer symptoms, cases may sometimes go unnoticed. Importantly, early data from
studies suggest that infection rates among teenagers may be higher than in younger children.

Considering that many countries are starting to slowly lift restrictions on activities, the longer-term effects of keeping schools open
on community transmission are yet to be evaluated. Some modelling studies suggest that school re-opening might have a small
effect on wider transmission in the community, but this is not well understood. Further studies are underway on the role of children in
transmission in and outside of educational settings. WHO is collaborating with scientists around the world to develop protocols that
countries can use to study COVID-19 transmission in educational institutions. Click here to access this information.

CoronaVirus: Don’t Let Our Children Down

Since its outbreak in late December 2019, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the world and like any critical sector, education
has been hit hard. Students, schools, colleges and universities have been deeply impacted. According to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), over 800 million learners from around the world have been
affected, 1 in 5 learners cannot attend school, 1 in 4 cannot attend higher education classes, and over 102 countries have
ordered nationwide school closures while 11 have implemented localised school closure.

Globally, over 200,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in more than 160 countries, which have resulted in more
than 8,000 deaths and left several States dealing with severe outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic will adversely impact the
progress some governments were making around increasing the education budget. Therefore, this is a crisis that requires urgent
attention and collective action by all Governments, stakeholders and communities.

Each day millions of children do not go to school due to emergencies and ongoing humanitarian crises. The outbreak of COVI-19
has compounded the plight of learners in countries affected and or emerging from conflict and disaster. While the Global
Campaign for Education (GCE) acknowledges the public health decision to close schools, we believe that contingency plans
should be in place to ensure the right to education even in times of crisis. GCE is convinced that all learners no matter where
they live and circumstances have a right to education.  Education is an essential right for children, young and adults in
emergencies and must be a priority from the very beginning of any and all emergency responses.

“Governments and civil society concerted efforts that mobilise resources, and expertise to address the impact of COVID-19 on
education is urgently required. This process should include developing long term strategies to address the needs of education in
emergencies” Grant Kasowanjete, GCE Global Coordinator.

Refat Sabbah, GCE President, further added: “All GCE members around the world, INGOs, regional networks and national
education coalitions, stand in solidarity to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. GCE reaffirms its willingness to work in
close collaboration with governments and world leaders to find appropriate solutions and mitigating measures to ensure the right
to education throughout these challenging times.”

GCE calls on the national governments, and donors:

 To prioritise education in the first phase of all emergency responses with immediate effect, and to Include education in
their COVID-19 response policies.
 To dedicate appropriate resources, financial and technical, to ensure the right to free, quality public education for all is
maintained during the COVID-19 crisis.
  To increase funding and support to education in crises to a minimum of 4.2% of emergency assistance in line with its
needs.
 To minimise the pressure on teachers, schools and school systems that remain open or volunteer to offer extra
support.

Coronavirus and schools:

Reflections on education one
year into the pandemic
For obvious reasons, the pandemic has hit college enrollment numbers hard. The biggest decreases have been at the
undergraduate level, and above all for community colleges. Protecting the finances of these institutions is obviously a key policy
concern. Of course, the longer-term effects for social mobility of a disrupted transition to postsecondary education are the deeper
concern, along with the consequences for racial and economic equity. But an overlooked dimension of the challenge is the stark
gender gap. College enrollment for male students in fall 2020 dropped by 5.1%, according to National Student Clearinghouse
figures, several times more than the fall for female students (0.7%). The drop in enrollment in previous years has also been much
bigger for men than women, and, as the chart below shows, it comes against the backdrop of lower overall rates of enrollment in
the first place.

There is already a large gender gap in education in the U.S., including in high school graduation rates, and increasingly in
college-going and college completion. While the pandemic appears to be hurting women more than men in the labor market, the
opposite seems to be true in education.

Coronavirus and schools:

Reflections on education one
year into the pandemic
When I look back on the last year in education, my first reaction is sadness. It’s just been a very hard year on so many students,
educators, and parents across the country.
Looking through a policy lens, though, I’m struck by the timing and what that timing might mean for the future of education.
Before the pandemic, enthusiasm for the education reforms that had defined the last few decades—choice and accountability—
had waned. It felt like a period between reform eras, with the era to come still very unclear. Then COVID-19 hit, and it coincided
with a national reckoning on racial injustice and a wake-up call about the fragility of our democracy. I think it’s helped us all see
how connected the work of schools is with so much else in American life.

We’re in a moment when our long-lasting challenges have been laid bare, new challenges have emerged, educators and parents
are seeing and experimenting with things for the first time, and the political environment has changed (with, for example, a new
administration and changing attitudes on federal spending). I still don’t know where K-12 education is headed, but there’s no
doubt that a pivot is underway.

Challenges for quality education in the times of pandemic

Education provides us knowledge of our society and environment and hones our skills to change them for the better. Education also
helps us to develop our own perspective of looking at our lives, prepares us to have our own points of view and form our own
opinions on different facets of life. Education today is not the process of gaining information. Any willing person can have access to
immense data and information nowadays through different websites and e-based platforms. But, can information be transformed into
knowledge without education? Only education can train us to interpret different issues and events in our lives. We can learn not only
through the lessons in our textbooks, but from our teachers, gurus, and mentors who guide us on how to read those books and how to
identify the Vishalyakarani from Gandhamadan mountains. We also learn from our own lives through our practical experiences and
hands-on trainings. In short, education helps us to acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to make informed decisions, lead
meaningful lives, and undertake active roles in contemporary society.
Since the beginning of 2020, we have been facing a crisis of enormous proportions. The COVID-19 pandemic has been wreaking
havoc across the globe — including India — upsetting our lives and livelihoods. Therefore, all the enrolled students in schools,
colleges and universities of India have been unable to go to their institutions for almost a year due to the restrictions imposed to
check the spread of the novel coronavirus since the middle of March 2020. This has hurt students immensely.

We still do not have any data on how many students have access to broadband internet, 4G smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktop
computers and other technologies absolutely necessary for online classes.
When millions of young people have been urged to stay at home like the other members of their families, and when the educational
institutions have remained closed, online education appears to be the only alternative to ensure the continuity of education of these
students. But the question remains as to whether we were prepared to utilise these substitute means of providing education in our
country without diluting the quality of education to be imparted to our students. The short answer to this question is — we were not.
The standard online education is still out of the reach of many students in our schools, colleges and universities, who have limited or
no access to computers and internet connectivity at home. We still do not have any data on how many students have access to
broadband internet, 4G smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers and other technologies absolutely necessary for online
classes. It has also been noticed that, in many cases, there is only one 4G smartphone at home for many families, which would have
to be shared by the earning members of the family struggling to continue with their shrinking livelihood opportunities and to ‘work
from home,’ if possible. The children at home, of various ages, are left jostling for that only device in the family. After all, the
pressure on the families is intense. Jobs are being lost and incomes cut.

Therefore, most of the young people in our country have been just staying at home for months without any form of formal education,
let alone quality education, necessary for understanding crises and achieving a more sustainable future, as emphasised in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted by the United Nations on 25 September 2015, for a just and sustainable planet.
Under such circumstances, there is a strong likelihood that there would be a high dropout rate from schools, colleges and universities
in 2020-21 and a few years subsequent. Given our patriarchal family structure, where boys are still prioritised over girls in terms of
imparting better and higher education, dropout rates of girl-students during and after this pandemic could be much higher than boys.
If this happens in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent slowdown and recession in economy, the target of vigorously
increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) envisaged by the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 could be seriously jeopardised.
Education is one of the areas in India, where the uneven impact of COVID-19 is more evident than most. The indefinite closure of
schools, colleges and universities may reverse years of progress in access to education in our country.

There is a strong likelihood that there would be a high dropout rate from schools, colleges and universities in 2020-21 and a few
years subsequent.
What can be done?
Under the circumstances, let us divert our attention from these bleak probabilities to what needs to be done at the earliest. First, we
must admit that face-to-face interactions between teachers and students along with vibrant and healthy debates amongst peers within
the classroom and outside are integral to quality teaching, as envisioned by the SDGs. Online education may complement this
method of learning but cannot substitute it. Social and emotional learning — like empathy, attention, collaboration and negotiation,
critical and creative thinking, growing awareness of multiple perspectives and developing respect for others who are different — are
difficult to inculcate among students without face-to-face classroom teaching. Second, having said this, we have to understand that,
when, for any reason — be it a pandemic or any other unforeseeable reason, classroom learning is not possible — online education
may be a viable alternative provided:

i. Adequate public financial resources are allocated for providing access to online educational facilities, in particular, for the students
belonging to the economically weaker sections in order to overcome the prevalent digital divide.

ii. Necessary arrangements are made for stable broadband facilities throughout the country for quality online learning along with
provision of earlier broadcast technologies like radio and television for delivering the curriculum.

iii. Educational institutions, not only in metropolises, but also in smaller towns and rural and remote areas, are equipped with state-
of-the-art ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) facilities for imparting quality online education.

iv. Teachers are sufficiently trained for offering online lessons using different digital platforms.

v. Necessary arrangements are made for offering lessons in digital platforms in the vernacular languages of India.

vi. Proper methods for assessing the quality of the learners are developed and familiarised among both students and teachers.

vii. Adequate arrangements are made for imparting online education to differently-abled students.

The fulfillment of the above essential conditions would be able to create a sustainable alternative method of imparting quality
education to make India one of the major future education hubs in the Global South and to turn the country’s demographic dividend
into valuable human resources by imparting advanced skills to compete in the world in the 21 st century. The COVID-19 pandemic is
a test for India. But it also gives us an opportunity to turn this crisis into a driving force for achieving India’s aim to provide quality
education to all.

How is the education sector responding to COVID-19?

In response to significant demand, many online learning platforms are offering free access to their services, including platforms
like BYJU’S, a Bangalore-based educational technology and online tutoring firm founded in 2011, which is now the world’s
most highly valued edtech company. Since announcing free live classes on its Think and Learn app, BYJU’s has seen a 200%
increase in the number of new students using its product, according to Mrinal Mohit, the company's Chief Operating Officer.
Tencent classroom, meanwhile, has been used extensively since mid-February after the Chinese government instructed a quarter
of a billion full-time students to resume their studies through online platforms. This resulted in the largest “online movement” in the
history of education with approximately 730,000, or 81% of K-12 students, attending classes via the Tencent K-12 Online School in
Wuhan.

Other companies are bolstering capabilities to provide a one-stop shop for teachers and students. For example, Lark, a Singapore-
based collaboration suite initially developed by ByteDance as an internal tool to meet its own exponential growth, began offering
teachers and students unlimited video conferencing time, auto-translation capabilities, real-time co-editing of project work, and smart
calendar scheduling, amongst other features. To do so quickly and in a time of crisis, Lark ramped up its global server infrastructure
and engineering capabilities to ensure reliable connectivity.

Alibaba’s distance learning solution, DingTalk, had to prepare for a similar influx: “To support large-scale remote work, the platform
tapped Alibaba Cloud to deploy more than 100,000 new cloud servers in just two hours last month – setting a new record for rapid
capacity expansion,” according to DingTalk CEO, Chen Hang.

Some school districts are forming unique partnerships, like the one between The Los Angeles Unified School District and PBS
SoCal/KCET to offer local educational broadcasts, with separate channels focused on different ages, and a range of digital options.
Media organizations such as the BBC are also powering virtual learning; Bitesize Daily, launched on 20 April, is offering 14 weeks of
curriculum-based learning for kids across the UK with celebrities like Manchester City footballer Sergio Aguero teaching some of the
content.
What does this mean for the future of learning?

While some believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and little
preparation – will result in a poor user experience that is unconducive to sustained growth, others believe that a new hybrid model of
education will emerge, with significant benefits. “I believe that the integration of information technology in education will be further
accelerated and that online education will eventually become an integral component of school education,“ says Wang Tao, Vice
President of Tencent Cloud and Vice President of Tencent Education.
 There have already been successful transitions amongst many universities. For example, Zhejiang University managed to get more
than 5,000 courses online just two weeks into the transition using “DingTalk ZJU”. The Imperial College London started offering a
course on the science of coronavirus, which is now the most enrolled class launched in 2020 on Coursera.

Many are already touting the benefits: Dr Amjad, a Professor at The University of Jordan who has been using Lark to teach his
students says, “It has changed the way of teaching. It enables me to reach out to my students more efficiently and effectively
through chat groups, video meetings, voting and also document sharing, especially during this pandemic. My students also find it is
easier to communicate on Lark. I will stick to Lark even after coronavirus, I believe traditional offline learning and e-learning can go
hand by hand."

Have you read?

 These 3 charts show the global growth in online learning

The challenges of online learning

There are, however, challenges to overcome. Some students without reliable internet access and/or technology struggle to
participate in digital learning; this gap is seen across countries and between income brackets within countries. For example, whilst
95% of students in Switzerland, Norway, and Austria have a computer to use for their schoolwork, only 34% in Indonesia
do, according to OECD data.

In the US, there is a significant gap between those from privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds: whilst virtually all 15-year-olds
from a privileged background said they had a computer to work on, nearly 25% of those from disadvantaged backgrounds did not.
While some schools and governments have been providing digital equipment to students in need, such as in New South Wales,
Australia, many are still concerned that the pandemic will widenthe digital divide.

Is learning online as effective?

For those who do have access to the right technology, there is evidence that learning online can be more effective in a number of
ways. Some research shows that on average, students retain 25-60%  more material when learning online compared to only 8-10%
in a classroom. This is mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online; e-learning requires 40-60% less time to
learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or
accelerating through concepts as they choose.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general consensus on children, especially
younger ones, is that a structured environment is required, because kids are more easily distracted. To get the full benefit of online
learning, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide this structure and go beyond replicating a physical class/lecture through
video capabilities, instead, using a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote “inclusion, personalization
and intelligence”, according to Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and President of its Cloud and Smart
Industries Group.

Since studies have shown that children extensively use their senses to learn, making learning fun and effective through use of
technology is crucial, according to BYJU's Mrinal Mohit. “Over a period, we have observed that clever integration of games has
demonstrated higher engagement and increased motivation towards learning especially among younger students, making them truly
fall in love with learning”, he says.

A changing education imperative

It is clear that this pandemic has utterly disrupted an education system that many assert was already losing its relevance. In his
book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, scholar Yuval Noah Harari outlines how schools continue to focus on traditional academic
skills and rote learning, rather than on skills such as critical thinking and adaptability, which will be more important for success in the
future. Could the move to online learning be the catalyst to create a new, more effective method of educating students? While some
worry that the hasty nature of the transition online may have hindered this goal, others plan to make e-learning part of their ‘new
normal’ after experiencing the benefits first-hand.
The importance of disseminating knowledge is highlighted through COVID-19

Major world events are often an inflection point for rapid innovation – a clear example is the rise of e-commerce post-SARS. While
we have yet to see whether this will apply to e-learning post-COVID-19, it is one of the few sectors where investment has not dried
up. What has been made clear through this pandemic is the importance of disseminating knowledge across borders, companies,
and all parts of society. If online learning technology can play a role here, it is incumbent upon all of us to explore its full potential.