Page 21 - EducationWorld Oct 2021

For the survey, ASER volunteers mere 42 percent. — until the end of the academic year
visited 13,365 households covering Comments Rishikesh B.S, 2022-23 — to bring children to their
670 villages in 24 rural districts of associate professor at the School age-appropriate learning level.”
Karnataka and tested the learning of Education, Azim Premji Univer- Curiously while academics and
outcomes of children aged between sity, Bengaluru: “The ASER 2020 teachers statewide are pushing the
3-14 years. Karnataka Rural report reflects the panic button, the state government
Governments around the world reality of school education in the seems totally nonchalant and politi-
have accorded high priority to state. Learning levels of the majority cians are busy devising strategies
restarting on-campus, in-person of children are at least three grades for the next legislative assembly
classes for youngest children who below their class level. The pandem- election scheduled for early 2023.
are most in danger of forgetting what ic-prompted schools lockdown has Meanwhile, with their own progeny
they may have learned in previ- worsened learning outcomes with learning from fully wired homes
ous years. Sweden didn’t lockdown children forgetting what they learnt connected with the city’s top-ranked
schools at all and France and in the earlier year. The government schools, industry leaders in Benga-
Tanzania shut down primaries for a needs to immediately reopen all luru — India’s IT capita — are also
mere 15 weeks to prevent children’s schools including primaries with indifferent to the massive learning
learning loss. adequate safeguards and start inten- loss of the majority of Karnataka’s 22
In sharp contrast, the Karna- sive remedial education to address million child and youth population.
taka government has exhibited no the learning loss. Children have now With the growth momentum of Kar-
urgency to restart normative school- been out of school for 18 months, so nataka’s IT and affiliated industries
ing despite being fully aware that even a three-month bridge course expected to rise sharply in the post-
online learning is a mirage for most won’t help. The government needs pandemic era, the state is very likely
children in the state. According to to specially train teachers to deliver to experience an acute shortage of
the Internet & Mobile Association of bridge and remedial courses and well-educated and skilled personnel
India, Internet penetration in Karna- bring children up to speed. We will in the years ahead.
taka — India’s Silicon Valley — is a need to give our teachers 500 days Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru)

OCTOBER 2021 EDUCATIONWORLD 21