Amid unresolved digital divide, Kerala to open schools online

As the government announces the next set of the academic year in Kerala, neither apprehensions of backward communities nor that of the online data discrepancies among students are consulted yet. Last year, in the same month of June after the academic year had begun, the state witnessed the suicide of a young teenage girl Devika, reportedly of her inaccessibility to digital studies.

Hailing from Irumbiliyum, a Dalit colony of Valancherry Panchayat in Malappuram district, the girl had no access to digital means or Television for taking part in the studies which eventually made her feel secluded and side-lined from the rest of her friends, leading her to take her life. Devika was a bright student in academics and had also won Ayyankali Scholarship. It was a time when Kerala peeped into her half dismantled, sheeted house and saw several prizes for her performances in academics.

After a year, we must remember Devika is not only a victim but also a representative of the whole backward communities including the Dalit colonies in Kerala and even perhaps of the 85% of the rural student community in India who doesn't have the means to online studies as per the NSO (National Statistical Office) survey in 2020. Several other students belonging to Dalit and Adivasi communities in Kerala also irrefutably face a similar kind of impediment to their digital education.

According to the Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishat survey conducted after the digital classes began in 2020, 12% of students lack TVs, 17% lack Internet, 39.5% face low internet services, especially among students from hilly areas and those belonging to ethnic tribes. The report also said that 76% of households with more than one child confront less availability of digital devices to follow their lessons and the lack of awareness on using these devices remain a grim reality among poor households and in backward communities.

The survey reports several reasons for the less efficacy of digital classes in Kerala which includes academic incomprehensibility, internet and smartphone unavailability, absence of parents, lack of awareness among backward communities, Parent-Teacher support etc.

Under the Samgra Shiksha scheme, many of the students residing in colonies lacking facilities and study friendly environments will continue their studies in the public centres in the nearby areas.

But the survey shows that even though digital services like TV are provided in such SC&ST colonies, the number of students reaching these centres have decreased over time due to the unavailability of teachers and other services.

As per the observations of the above report of Shastra Sahitya Parishat, it is noted that the probability of students watching digital classes among backward communities is seen diminishing in the order O.E.C, O.B.C, S.C and S.T. Whether the Government has looked into these issues and tried to mitigate the digital divide or had developed any systematic approach in the governing local bodies to consult such grievances are still worth questioning.

Owing to these impediments and gradual disinterestedness among students belonging to backward communities, the students' organisation and Fraternity Movement demand separate online education strategies in different regions. One of the organisations told Madhyamam that the students from these backward communities, Adivasi Colonies and coastal areas confront different forms of discrimination in their right to education, including internet availability, data speed, the efficacy of public centres or unable to have one, less accessibility to digital education due to geographical, demographic variations and even early age marriage practices in Adivasi colonies.

The survey conducted in 2020 said that the quality and accessibility of education of these students have reduced over time. The survey committee that has made several recommendations to improve digital education also suggested the government ensure the speed of the Internet. And specifically in areas where the public learning centres are operational for students from Backward Communities with the collaboration of ward members, teachers and the P.T.A.

However, the accessibility to online notes and communication with the teacher or doubt clearances remain impossible for these students. Apart from opening public centres soon after the suicide of Devika and the stark digital divide was revealed, there are reportedly no notable interventions from the government to increase the digital connectivity for online education for the students belonging to backward communities.

With the absence of proper means of digital services and administrative strategies to avail equal accessibility of online education to all, the possibility of incidents happening similar to Devika could not be ruled out.

The government should mitigate the online class accessibility issues to ensure all students are equally getting quality education in the wake of a delay in arranging a physical presence of students in the classrooms. The government should also provide financial assistance to needy students to meet their educational requirements while ensuring their scholarships.