More than 60% students are not attending schools — and merely a third of them are learning online

• Just over a third of students in India say that their schools extend online learning options, says a recent survey Brainly.
  
• The unexpected closures and suspension of classes directly impacted the academic calendar.
  
• Indian government has closed down all educational institutions till March 31, 2020 in the wake of Coronavirus.

Just over a third of students in India say that their schools extend online learning options, says a recent survey conducted by the online learning community Brainly. However, as Coronavirus continues to spread, more schools are expected to go online.

This year, many unexpected closures and suspension of classes have impacted the academic calendar. But it may not harm the learning process as much, given that it is almost the time for a summer break.

The survey of 2,000 students shows that 63% students are not attending school in India right now. However, only 36% of them are learning via online media. While a few children are happy to be spending time at home, others are bored of the break already.

This is as the Indian government closed down all the educational institutions till March 31, 2020 in the wake of Coronavirus. Even the board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) have been postponed.

“While maintenance of academic calendar and exam schedule is important, equally important is the safety and security of the students who are appearing in various examinations, as also that of their teachers and parents,” MHRD said.

As a result, one in five students also worry about their learning.

“While numerous schools in the country have tied up with ed-tech platforms to offer online learning to students, our survey findings indicate that a major chunk of them have not made such associations yet. We expect more schools and teachers to follow this path and introduce online learning in the upcoming days,” said Michał Borkowski, Co-founder, and CEO of Brainly.

Brainly operates on a ‘community learning’ business model, roping in students, parents, teachers, and experts for a blended learning experience.

This reiterates the suggestions from the United Nations, that says that the schools should opt for inclusive distance learning programmes. It is in fact, considering open educational applications and platforms for schools and teachers to reach learners remotely.

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