New Delhi: Dhiru, an Indian teenager who entered 10th grade this year, hasn’t attended even one day of class since the academic year began in April.
The school was closed for months amid the pandemic, but even since it reopened Dhiru’s mother Rekha Devi is afraid to send her son to class. Unlike some schools, Dhiru’s doesn’t offer online instruction - and even if it did, the family doesn’t own a computer or a smartphone to access the internet.
“The school is now saying, ‘Come and attend class,’ but we don’t want to take the risk,” said Rekha Devi, a domestic helper near New Delhi. “Unlike rich people, we don’t have the option of online classes. So we’ve started private tuition for him, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to pass the exams without any schooling this year.”
Showing up digital s big divide
Plenty of Indians are facing a similar predicament: As many as 80 per cent of Indian students couldn t access online schooling during the lockdown, and many might not return to classrooms when they reopen, according to a study by Oxfam.
That s just one example of how the pandemic has exacerbated the country s digital divide - the gap between those with the means and knowledge to benefit from the internet, and those without - worsening already stark levels of inequality and weighing on economic growth. While the divide isn t unique to India, it s especially acute in a nation where more than half the population of 1.3 billion people is under 25 years old.
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Dhiru, an Indian teenager who entered 10th grade this year, hasn’t attended even one day of class since the academic year began in April.
The school was closed for months amid the pandemic, but even since it reopened Dhiru’s mother Rekha Devi is afraid to send her son to class. Unlike some schools, Dhiru’s doesn’t offer online instruction and even if it did, the family doesn’t own a computer or a smartphone to access the internet.
“The school is now saying, ‘Come and attend class,’ but we don’t want to take the risk,” said Rekha Devi, a domestic helper near New Delhi. “Unlike rich people, we don’t have the option of online classes. So we’ve started private tuition for him, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to pass the exams without any schooling this year.”
Covid-19 pandemic risks a lost generation in India as digital divide widens
Picture for representation.
. Updated: 17 Dec 2020, 05:52 AM IST Bloomberg
India has the world’s second-largest pool of internet users, about 600 million, comprising more than 12% of all users globally
Yet half its population lacks internet access, and even if they can get online, only 20% of Indians know how to use digital services, according to government data
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Dhiru, an Indian teenager who entered 10th grade this year, hasn’t attended even one day of class since the academic year began in April.
The school was closed for months amid the pandemic, but even since it reopened Dhiru’s mother Rekha Devi is afraid to send her son to class. Unlike some schools, Dhiru’s doesn’t offer online instruction and even if it did, the family doesn’t own a computer or a smartphone to access the internet.
Covid Risks a Lost Generation Amid India’s Digital Divide
Bloomberg 12/17/2020 Vrishti Beniwal
(Bloomberg) Dhiru, an Indian teenager who entered 10th grade this year, hasn’t attended even one day of class since the academic year began in April.
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The school was closed for months amid the pandemic, but even since it reopened Dhiru’s mother Rekha Devi is afraid to send her son to class. Unlike some schools, Dhiru’s doesn’t offer online instruction and even if it did, the family doesn’t own a computer or a smartphone to access the internet.
“The school is now saying, ‘Come and attend class,’ but we don’t want to take the risk,” said Rekha Devi, a domestic helper near New Delhi. “Unlike rich people, we don’t have the option of online classes. So we’ve started private tuition for him, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to pass the exams without any schooling this year.”