Dimapur, July 26 (MExN): Drawing the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s attention on the proposal of online education across India, North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) Nagaland Chapter in a letter has highlighted several concerns regarding its impact.
The letter came in the backdrop of the reported Union Government’s announcement on the need to focus on online education amid the challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlighting the merits and demerits of online education, the NEDF’s letter to CM noted that on the positive side, online education helps in acquiring knowledge beyond the home compound.
However, it highlighted several negative sides. Among others, the forum wondered whether the quality of course content as well as poor communication without having the opportunity for face-to-face discussion.
Those with years of experience on online education seem to have found “online learning requires increased time-management skills and focus” and that people over 50 years of age, appear to have more discipline and motivation to complete course while it could be negative experience for younger students,” it added.
Adaptability of student from a formal traditional classroom to a totally different environment of learning and credibility of “online instructors” were also raised.
Besides, feeling of isolation and insecurity as time progresses would results in resulting in lack of confidence in himself/herself and may lead to psychological issue, it said.
Will there be a monitoring committee/board? NEDF asked.
It further noted that there would be many technical issues because of lack of high bandwidth, weak internet service and not being able to afford having modern efficient equipment, apart from students’ tech ability
The NEDF also cited reported studies that “long term and excessive exposure to radiation will produce negative biological and health effects in humans.”
One may say that online education is within a given and limited time frame per day but who monitors when there isn’t human or person-to-person contact, it added.
Most importantly, it pointed out that affordability issue of adopting online learning and argued that “it produces inequity.”
In this connection, the forum asked the CM in its letter not to “revert to online education” and instead suggested that some measures to be conveyed to the Union Government .
Among others, it advocated for doubling if not trebling the Union budget for Education from 3% to 6% or better still to 9% of the GDP.
It also called for providing two school buildings instead to adhere to social distancing as well as reducing teacher student ratio by 1:20
Besides doubling the existing required number, it also called for providing financial assistance to private schools to accordingly enhance appointment of more teachers and construct more school buildings.
