Page 42 - EW-June-2024

Cover Story

outcomes of their pupils. According to the report, led by pri-
Therefore, reform and upgradation vate sector schools, education in the
initiatives in early childhood care and world’s second largest K-12 system
education (ECCE) and K-12 education is poised to experience positive sea
tend to be led by the country’s private change. GER (gross enrolment ratio)
schools — especially the best 4,000- in primary, upper primary, second-
5,000 primary-secondaries ranked ary and higher secondary schools
in the annual EWISR league tables. has shown steady improvement since
Hence the critical importance of the 2018; dropouts have decreased; gen-
comprehensive and well-researched der parity is 100 percent; school infra-
LoEstro State of India K-12 report. structure and facilities have improved
“ AFTER PROLONGED hiberna- ratio has improved and there is in-
countrywide; national teacher-pupil
creasing interest and capital flow into
tion, India’s K-12 education
sector is experiencing dy-
tors and venture capital firms since
namic change. The shutdown private schools from strategic inves-
of schools for almost two years during Gupta: new dynamism the beginning of the new millennium.
the Covid-19 pandemic-forced curric- The downside of this rosy picture
ulum upgradation and introduction of government — to understand the new is: “several limitations” in curriculum
new technologies in school education. dynamism within K-12 education to and pedagogy (persistence with rote
Simultaneously, government regula- enable them to ride the change,” says learning, compartmentalised curricu-
tions and supervision have eased and Rakesh Gupta, the highly qualified lums, no change in assessment prac-
NEP 2020 has standardised and ra- — IIT-Kharagpur, Indian School of tices, limited focus on vocational and
tionalised school education by incor- Business, Hyderabad, former head of life skills learning and “challenges” in
porating foundational ECCE into the finance and strategy at People Com- teacher training and capacity build-
K-12 system, and inflow of domestic bine Educational Initiatives (2011- ing) and inadequate adoption of edu-
and foreign investment of significant 2015) and management consultant cation technology.
proportions into primary-secondary with McKinsey & Co (India) — and “Our report highlights that it’s very
education has begun. Our report has lead author of the 80-page State of important for all stakeholders to be-
been written to enable all stakeholders India K-12: Resilience Amidst Uncer- come bullish about introducing and
in education — parents, educators and tainties report. disseminating technology in school

Improving infrastructure

Functional electricity Playground Library

87 81 87
74 75 77

% of total schools 2018-19 2021-22 2018-19 Internet 2021-22 2018-19 2021-22

Computer availability
Wash facility

82 90

48
34 35
19

2018-19 2021-22 2018-19 2021-22 2018-19 2021-22

Source: State of India K-12: Resilience Amidst Uncertainties

42 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2024