Page 48 - EW July 2021 final

Cover Story

tions for over 15 months has around the world and reduced
hit India’s at best of times dependence on teachers is likely
cruelly under-provided rural to level the playing field for ru-
school children hardest. With ral children. If government can
schools shut down and only 15 ensure one digital device per ru-
percent of rural households ral family it will make a fantastic
connected with the Internet, difference to Indian education
with a mere 4 percent able and boost rural productivity for
to afford smartphones and years to come. We need to har-
digital devices, an estimated vest this unexpected gain of the
24 million children have been Covid pandemic,” says Fallone.
prematurely pushed into the Meanwhile, the low prior-
labour force, and girl chil- ity currently being accorded to
dren into early marriage and drawing up detailed safeguards
worse. “The national lock- Fallone: changed mindset benefit to protect children and reopen
down took away the autono- the country’s education institu-
my of rural India and forced closure of main in touch with their teachers tions, especially 1.5 million primary-
schools even in remote communities and peers through smartphones and secondary schools shuttered for 56
not affected by the Coronavirus. It has tablets to develop the 3 C’s — con- weeks, is indicative of inadequate
hit girls education disproportionately nection, competence and confidence. awareness within the Central and
and set back education in rural gov- BCI is willing to provide this pedagogy state governments — and within Niti
ernment schools by at least ten years,” model to all government and private Aayog, the government think-tank
says New Zealand-born Meagan Fal- primaries that may be interested,” — that procrastination on this issue
lone, the highly-qualified (Yale, UCL, adds Fallone. is likely to result in a massive rise in
Harvard), (until recently) chief execu- But even as she believes that the unemployment and productivity loss
tive of the globally renowned Barefoot national lockdown of schools has se- in Indian industry, agriculture and the
College International (BCI), Tilonia, verely disrupted primary education, economy, as under-prepared gradu-
Rajasthan established by Doon School Fallone discerns a silver lining to ates enter the adult workforce. This
and St. Stephen’s college alumnus the Covid cloud that has enveloped development if unaddressed is certain
Bunker Roy in 1972. With affiliated the country. She is convinced that to derail the BJP/NDA government’s
clones in 15 states across India and the pandemic has changed the rural grandiose plan to transform India into
96 developing countries around the mindset and blown away all resistance a $5 trillion economy within the next
world, since Fallone took charge as to digital technology. three years.
CEO of this unique institution which “Today every rural household ur- “With domestic and international
isn’t ‘recognised’ by government (and gently wants Internet connectivity competition, especially from our
media) in 2010, it has morphed into and to own at least one digital device. neighbour nation China becoming
Barefoot College International. Access to high quality content from intense, India Inc increasingly needs
O NE OF THE FIRST initia- Ravichander: remedial education urgency EQ, knowledge, drive for success,
graduates with passion, high IQ and
tives of BCI which trans-
capability and energy. Unfortunately
forms ‘barefoot’ villag-
institutions countrywide has seri-
ers into solar power and the protracted lockdown of education
water-harvesting engineers, was to ously disrupted learning at all levels
establish night schools for children and will create a huge shortage of
in Rajasthan who are obliged to take graduates with these qualifications.
cattle for grazing. Over the years Bare- Therefore, urgent remedial education
foot College has established 38 night programmes, especially in schools,
schools in Tilonia district and sup- are absolutely necessary to ensure
ports another 35 in neighbouring ar- that children with strong foundations
eas. According to Fallone, children in can derive the full benefit of higher
these primaries were provided smart- education. While the demand for IIT
phones and tablets in 2015. “We have graduates and top-ranked engineering
successfully devised our high-touch, colleges is good, for graduates from
hi-tech learning-from-home hybrid tier-II and tier-III colleges without
pedagogy under which children re- strong foundational education, find-

48 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2021