The global education system was tested to the unprecedented level by the pandemic of COVID-19, but also to a new response. In rural Odisha village, a junior teacher Priyanka embodied such innovation. Using the challenge of how to teach children who did not even have smartphones and fixed internet access, she employed WhatsApp voice messages and radio stations to give directions. This alternative approach not only provided continuity of instruction but also brought into perspective the future of low-technology interventions in closing the knowledge gap.
India's NEP 2020 has set serious emphasis on digital-first learning induced by intervention across the digital learning framework and deployment via television and radio. The e-learning laboratory and tablet-classroom implementations were initiated for the first time in Kerala and Maharashtra. But all that glory is accompanied with problems that still beset it. Internet coverage in rural village locales stands at 24% of networked homes, but still 42% of networked homes are in cities. Furthermore, educators too are not yet properly trained with digital technology competencies, and scale, unbridled use of untested EdTech tools undermine pedagogy and data privacy. India's lessons are belated, but timely, ones for other countries, particularly the Global South. They are:
Low-tech solutions: Radio, SMS, and offline mobile apps can be utilized in order to access students in low density pockets of internet reach. NCERT's e-pathshala offline app, for example, has gone the extra mile in accessing education content to non-internet students.
Public-private collaborations: Public-private collaborations among the state and EdTech companies can fuel innovation and scaling already visible through startup creation in the style of BYJU'S and Unacademy.
Decentralizing innovation: Grass-root campaigns like Kerala's "Little KITEs" effort to teach students as digital ambassadors are just the ticket.
Teacher training a priority: Projects like Tamil Nadu's "TechSaksham" program to give 150,000 teachers training on tech tools embody the teacher-readiness imperative.
Student privacy protection: With greater EdTech penetration occurring, there must be tougher privacy policies in place to avoid exposing students to exploitation.
Equity and inclusion must be the sole impelling forces behind India's EdTech revolution for all. This involves:
Erasing rural-urban digital divide: Offline-first applications and affordable devices like second-hand mobile phones can be the catalysts in rural areas.
Creating mother-tongue content: Local-language learning material at affordable rates can bridge language gaps and expand access to learning.
Learning outcome measurement: Rather than app download measurement silos, measuring effect on learning outcome of EdTech intervention is a requirement.
India's EdTech model is a model that can be followed by other countries in the Global South. By adopting innovation, equity, and inclusion, we can have a more inclusive and improved education system. We policymakers, teachers, and journalists need to ask hard questions about what are the implications of EdTech programs and how to build a world where every child will learn anywhere.
