By Wahengbam Robert
The role of technology in education is continuously expanding, changing the conventional ways of teaching and learning. In the last decade, the use of computers in education have extended and become widespread. Students use computers to complete their assignments, do their research, and connect with their classmates. Teacher use computers to keep track of their students, check on their work, and make grading them easier and more transparent.
Since the outbreak of the deadly covid-19 pandemic, the world has stood still, the steps of complete lockdown has been imposed globally. The impact of lockdown is visible in most of the sector, and most importantly it has badly affected the education sector. Schools, colleges, universities and all the institutions in India has remained closedas a measure to contain the spread of the virus. India Government’s efforts in tackling the virus has shown significant progress but educational institutions have to remain closed as a precautionary measure for the student community. Fortunately, with the help of this fast growing technology, India Government have launched certain e-platform for our education system during this lockdown, which provide a light for the student communities. Apart from this a new milestone has been achieved in the education sector with the Cabinet giving assent to the New education policy 2020.
Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the government of India is taking proactive steps to help children with no internet access. In this regard, Nirmala Sitharaman the finance minister has announceda comprehensive initiative called PM eVidya program especially designed for the top 100 universities of the country and for schools also. Under this program, online education courses has started from May 30, 2020 with the objective to impart knowledge despite the nation-wide lockdown by educating students through digital platforms. It has also made special arrangement for the visually and hearing-impaired students by arranging special radio podcast. There will be a single dedicated channel per class from class 1st to 12th which will be known as ‘one class, one channel’.Under this programme certain platform has been launched for educating the students through digital platforms so that they do not have to suffer due to nationwide lock down.
SWAYAM PRABHA is a step taken up by the HRD Ministry, an initiative to provide 32 High Quality Educational Channels through DTH using the GSAT-15 satellite for program telecastsacross the countrywith an aim to provide quality learning resources to the remote areas where internet availability is still a challenge. It is telecast every day for four hours and repeated five times in a day, itcovers the higher education, school education (9-12 levels), curriculum based courses and assist students (11th and 12th) for competitive exams. It has also tied up with private DTH operators like Tata Sky & Airtel to air educational video content to enhance the reach of these channels. 3 channels were already earmarked for school education; now another 12 channels to be added.
Another initiative is DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform), a platform which has been launched for States and union territories will contain e-content and QR coded energized textbook for all gradeswill now become the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content in school education. It will let you access curriculum-based resources in an interactive and engaging format. Students can leverage this platform and stay on track with their studies even when schools are closed.
The e-Pathshala, a joint initiative of Ministry of HRDand NCERT has been developed to provide educational e-resources for Students, Teachers, Parents, researchers and educators. 200 new textbooks have been added. This e-platform aims at providing digital textbooks, graded learning materials and e-resources for the student communities.
On 21stJuly 2020, the union ministry of HRD has also launched an initiative, named, ‘MANODARPAN’ an initiative for psychological support and counselling of students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being during the COVID outbreak.It is a part of the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ABHIYAN launched by the PM on 12 May, 2020.It is to be provided through a website, a toll-free helpline, national directory of counselors, interactive chat platform, etc. The pandemic is not just amedical concern but it has also affected the mental psychological well- being of the students. And certain reports of emerging mental health have surfaced so to tackle this issues the government has launched this initiative.
Apart from the above mention initiatives the government of India is planning to launch certain program like New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood and teachers integrating with the global and 21st century skills demand and by the end of this year the Government of India will launch National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission with a vision to ensure every child achieves learning levels and outcomes by the time they pass grade 5 in 2025. In line with this on July 29, a new national education policy has been approved by the cabinet. This National Education Policy 2020 will play an important role in creating new India.
The National Education Policy 2020, the first education policy of the 21st century aims at addressing the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. It will replace the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education, 1986 with anaim for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030. It will emphasize on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, vocational streams in schools. Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships, Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects.
The current situation caused by this pandemic has greatly affected the education sector, to minimize it E-learning is the only solution one can resolve to as it allows one to study from the safe confines of their home and avoid travel to public places. And Modi Government has indeed come up to the mark, the initiative taken up during this pandemic has proved to be a boon for the education sector.
