Covid-19: A historic opportunity to redefine the Indian school system
4 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19: A historic opportunity to redefine the Indian school system

Hindustan Times  

Respected Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ ji, For children between three and 14 years, the focus should be on the child’s happiness, support for responsible behaviour, and foundational learning skills I write to you not just as the education minister of Delhi but also as a citizen and parent concerned about the future of millions of children of our country. The Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said some time ago that “we need to learn to live with corona” and reopening of schools with reasonable precautions is a welcome step in that direction. The focus should exclusively be on the child’s happiness, support for responsible behaviour and building foundational learning skills instead of just completing the remaining syllabus. I am fully aware that this is not easy, and schools will require a lot of support but just like children, our schools, education systems and policymakers like us also need to learn, grow and be responsible.

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History of this topic

India’s Tribal Schools Fail Their Most Vulnerable Students
2 days, 13 hours ago

India’s Tribal Schools Fail Their Most Vulnerable Students

The Hindu  

Published : Jan 07, 2025 19:46 IST - 12 MINS READ Devi Singh Paharia, in his mid-50s, belongs to one of the three Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the Santhal Parganas, Dumka district, Jharkhand. The Eklavya Model Residential Schools —a programme launched in 1997-98 by the Central government to provide quality education to Scheduled Tribe students in remote parts of …

Education System in Crisis: Why Are Young Indians Leaving School?
5 days, 20 hours ago

Education System in Crisis: Why Are Young Indians Leaving School?

The Quint  

“India will grow only if India reads.” But is India truly reading? Over the last two years, 1.72 crore children have dropped out of school, marking the first major decline in six years. Reverse Migration which means during COVID-19, many families moved from cities to villages, shifting their children from private to government schools. The growing number of children leaving …

Smaller citizens: On the gaps in India’s education system
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Smaller citizens: On the gaps in India’s education system

The Hindu  

January 19, 2024 12:47 am | Updated 08:54 am IST The pandemic was difficult for India’s youngest citizens, the children, but the true import of its impact is coming to light now. In the Annual Status of Education Report, titled ‘ASER 2023: Beyond Basics’ and released on Wednesday, a survey by civil society organisation Pratham among rural students aged 14 …

New survey focusses on Bihar’s education crisis
1 year, 5 months ago

New survey focusses on Bihar’s education crisis

The Hindu  

Published : Aug 04, 2023 16:24 IST - 3 MINS READ Shedding light on the dismal state of the schooling system in Bihar and the impact of the post-COVID crisis, a new survey report titled “Where Are the Kids?” was released in Patna on August 4. The report, conducted by Jan Jagran Shakti Sanghathan in January-February 2023, is based on …

Seek reports on school dropouts, Calcutta HC to Bengal govt on Covid impact
1 year, 8 months ago

Seek reports on school dropouts, Calcutta HC to Bengal govt on Covid impact

Hindustan Times  

KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court has asked the West Bengal government to call for reports from districts on the strength of students in schools before and after the Covid pandemic and take steps to bring back students who dropped out of schools. West Bengal was among the dozen-odd states that had secondary school dropout rates higher than the national average …

Covid-19 impact: Primary school students struggle with syllabus
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid-19 impact: Primary school students struggle with syllabus

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: A Class 5 student from a government school in the city fails to understand when asked ‘how are you’ in English. There are at least 10-15 students in each class like her in the primary sections across government schools, said teachers. However, to help students cope, government schools continue teaching support courses along with the syllabus. The government has …

What India needs to improve in its education system post-pandemic? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 11 months ago

What India needs to improve in its education system post-pandemic? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

It was only in 2022, after the third wave of COVID-19, that schools in India finally reopened fully, after two plus years of pandemic-related disruptions. The Annual Status of Education Report 2022, brought out by the NGO Pratham last week, reveals that at least one of these concerns may not be a problem: overall enrolment figures for the 6 to …

How covid hit basic reading and maths skills
1 year, 11 months ago

How covid hit basic reading and maths skills

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Lengthy school closures due to the pandemic have undone years of gradual gains in learning levels among India’s school-age students, with a major education report released on Wednesday reporting elementary reading and maths skills comparable to pre-2012 levels. Nearly 43% of class V students tested by education non-profit Pratham Education Foundation could read a class II level text …

Enrolment raised in government schools post-COVID, private schools saw a decline
2 years ago

Enrolment raised in government schools post-COVID, private schools saw a decline

India TV News  

Winter session of Parliament 2022: Inclination in enrolment has been witnessed in government-run schools across the country post-covid-19. Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of State for Education on Monday told the parliament that the enrolment in government-run schools has increased after the covid-19. As per Annapurna Devi, private schools saw a decline. However, the enrolment in private schools declined to 8.82 …

The changing face of Indian education: Is homeschooling a new normal amongst young parents?
2 years, 1 month ago

The changing face of Indian education: Is homeschooling a new normal amongst young parents?

India Today  

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every sector of the industry, with education being no exception. When it comes to conventional schooling, one curriculum is designed for everyone, but when it comes to home-schooling, parents can customize the curriculum of their children according to their interests and work towards their better development. On the contrary, homeschooling gives …

Data | Covid impact on Indian higher education: More promotions, poor learning outcomes
2 years, 1 month ago

Data | Covid impact on Indian higher education: More promotions, poor learning outcomes

The Hindu  

Higher education in India is entering a worrying phase due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on school education. The Unified District Information System for Education survey for 2021-22 shows that the promotion rate among secondary school students continued to increase even during the pandemic years. Chart 1 shows the promotion rate of secondary school students across communities. Click to …

Overhauling the education system in India: 7 critical changes that need to happen right now
2 years, 5 months ago

Overhauling the education system in India: 7 critical changes that need to happen right now

India Today  

The pandemic propelled a transformation in the education system that perhaps would have taken many more years to eventuate. While the last two years assumed unprecedented importance in the journey of a reimagined education system, today, which is all the more critical for all of us. Here are the changes that must be integrated into the Indian education system today …

Plummeting school test scores: Understanding the bigger problems beyond COVID-19 lockdowns | Data Point podcast
2 years, 5 months ago

Plummeting school test scores: Understanding the bigger problems beyond COVID-19 lockdowns | Data Point podcast

The Hindu  

In late May, the National Council of Educational Research and Training released the results of the 2021 National Achievement Survey, which evaluates learning outcomes based on a standardised test. The results of the test, which was conducted in November 2021, showed that in nearly every State and Union Territory, scores dropped significantly compared to the 2018 results. In this podcast, …

Schooling in Covid Era: An Opportunity for Young Students to Become Better Global Citizens
2 years, 6 months ago

Schooling in Covid Era: An Opportunity for Young Students to Become Better Global Citizens

News 18  

As Covid-19 case counts are rising again, there are apprehensions of a fresh wave building up. It is by now clearly evident that children are less likely to suffer from severe illness, even when infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Children who are immunocompromised or have risk enhancing comorbid health conditions must be protected from exposure and provided vaccines which are …

Reverse the learning loss of India’s young
2 years, 7 months ago

Reverse the learning loss of India’s young

Hindustan Times  

A new government survey released on Wednesday evening confirmed what a raft of non-official reports and studies have been indicating: Learning levels were hammered by the Covid-19, with school closures disproportionately impacting students in rural areas. The National Achievement Survey 2021, the first such exercise conducted since 2017, found that the national average percentage, the average of scores across four …

Around 30% Students Haven't Returned to Schools After Pandemic: Odisha Govt Report
2 years, 7 months ago

Around 30% Students Haven't Returned to Schools After Pandemic: Odisha Govt Report

News 18  

The education of millions of children in India was gravely impacted due to the closure of schools following strict lockdowns during the pandemic. The School and Mass Education secretary, Bishnupada Sethi, weighed in on the issue and said that students were not attending school despite the government making provisions for a midday meal and implementing a learning recovery plan. According …

COVID Blues: Enough about Exams, Placements; Ask Students How They’re Doing
2 years, 8 months ago

COVID Blues: Enough about Exams, Placements; Ask Students How They’re Doing

News 18  

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to send shock waves throughout the world, education is witnessing unprecedented changes. According to the World Bank, 94 per cent of students – 1.6 billion – were out of educational institutions during lockdowns. An estimated 258 million children were out of school, and the Learning Poverty rate in developing countries was 53 per cent – …

Protocol in place, prepared to tackle Covid infections: Delhi schools
2 years, 8 months ago

Protocol in place, prepared to tackle Covid infections: Delhi schools

Hindustan Times  

Schools in the city welcomed the standard operating procedures issued by the directorate of education on Friday to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infection on campuses, with many saying they are already implementing most of the measures listed in the guidelines. Bharat Arora, president of the Action Committee of Unaided Private Schools, a consortium of private schools, said that most …

What About Kids at Malls & Functions, Ask Experts as Rising Covid Cases Bring Back School Closure Demand
2 years, 8 months ago

What About Kids at Malls & Functions, Ask Experts as Rising Covid Cases Bring Back School Closure Demand

News 18  

With a rise in the number of school-going children catching coronavirus in India, especially in Delhi and neighbouring areas, the demand to shut schools and cancel exams is back. The virus spread irrespective of opening of schools,” believes Naman Jain, Education Expert and Director, Silverline Prestige School, Ghaziabad, who is currently running the school in accordance with strict Covid-19 protocol. …

Delhi schools, experts laud call to keep in-person classes going
2 years, 8 months ago

Delhi schools, experts laud call to keep in-person classes going

Hindustan Times  

School administrators in the national capital on Wednesday welcomed the Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s decision to keep schools open for offline classes despite the increase in Covid-19 cases over the past week, with some reports suggesting that one reason for this was the reopening of schools. While sharing the findings of a survey conducted across private schools, Arora said: “Out …

Covid-19 in Delhi: Schools wait for protocol, say closures will set back
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19 in Delhi: Schools wait for protocol, say closures will set back

Hindustan Times  

Schools in the city said they are waiting for directions and guidelines from the directorate of education to act on positive Covid-19 cases on campus, adding that they hoped institutions are not required to be shut, and that closures will only exacerbate the learning gaps that have come about over the past two years. Even as the Delhi Disaster Management …

Lakshita Joshi | Enrolment jump in govt schools a chance to boost public education
2 years, 9 months ago

Lakshita Joshi | Enrolment jump in govt schools a chance to boost public education

Deccan Chronicle  

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented shift in enrolment from private schools to government schools all across India. Rural government school teachers surveyed in the ASER 2021 report showed that the most prevalent driver of the shift from private to government schools was the financial distress faced by many families due to Covid-19. This shift was also possible because …

Parents see decline in learning, behavioural changes in children during Covid-19 pandemic: Study
2 years, 9 months ago

Parents see decline in learning, behavioural changes in children during Covid-19 pandemic: Study

The Hindu  

During the troughs and crests of each wave of COVID-19 over two years, parents, especially those from lower socio-economic groups who were struggling to make ends meet with the threat of job loss and pay cuts, watched helplessly as their children struggled with online classes. In comparison, 59% of parents whose children were in private schools said they observed a …

State schools need our urgent attention
2 years, 9 months ago

State schools need our urgent attention

Hindustan Times  

Close to four million students shifted to State-run schools in 2020-21, according to the Union ministry of education’s Unified District Information System for Education report. The report shows that the bulk of the drop in the enrolment from pre-primary to Class 12 was found in the early classes and that nearly 75% of schools did not have internet facilities and …

School reopening update: Hybrid learning is hindrance to quality education, says NPSC
2 years, 10 months ago

School reopening update: Hybrid learning is hindrance to quality education, says NPSC

India Today  

Hybrid learning in schools is becoming a cause of hindrance to quality education. Why hybrid learning is hindrance to quality education in schools "The choice of catering to both online mode and normal school is not only a hindrance to delivering quality education but has also overburdened the teaching fraternity. Acharya, who is also principal of the ITL Public School, …

MP govt orders to reopen schools for Classes 1 to 12 with full attendance
2 years, 10 months ago

MP govt orders to reopen schools for Classes 1 to 12 with full attendance

India Today  

Madhya Pradesh schools to reopen: Madhya Pradesh government has issued an order to reopen all schools for classes 1 to 12 with full attendance with immediate effect in the state. As per the officials, Madhya Pradesh School Education Department has issued a circular on February 12, 2022, which instructs all schools and hostels across the state to reopen at 100 …

Keep schools open, children can't wait: UNICEF
2 years, 11 months ago

Keep schools open, children can't wait: UNICEF

India Today  

Keep schools open amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said an official statement released by UNICEF. Also, World Bank's Global Education Director Jaime Saavedra said that there is no justification now for keeping schools closed in view of the pandemic and even if there are new waves, closing schools should be the last resort, according to the UNICEF Recommendations to reopen schools …

Covid-19 pandemic causes 'learning loss' in Chhattisgarh school kids: ASER report
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid-19 pandemic causes 'learning loss' in Chhattisgarh school kids: ASER report

India Today  

The Annual Annual Status of Education Report 2021 for Chhattisgarh has found that the percentage of students unable to recognise even alphabet letters in beginner-level classes has doubled in 2021 as compared to 2018. Lowest foundational reading level in a decade The report read, "The proportion of children at beginner-level in classes II, III and VI has roughly doubled in …

Centre likely to issue advisory on reopening schools soon: Sources
2 years, 11 months ago

Centre likely to issue advisory on reopening schools soon: Sources

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: With the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 15 gathering pace, the Centre is likely to issue an advisory soon to reopen schools across the country. Sources have told ANI that, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked the National Expert Group to suggest ways and work on modalities to open schools nationwide. Top sources have also told …

Covid-19: Reasons why India needs to reopen schools
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid-19: Reasons why India needs to reopen schools

India Today  

Schools in India have been closed for over 650 days due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the surge in cases of variants like Omicron. The report “India Needs To Learn - A Case for Keeping Schools Open” captures key findings from this study and the imperatives for India to build back better. Covid-19: Countries that kept schools open A …

Covid-19 impact on school children to be studied: Delhi Govt
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid-19 impact on school children to be studied: Delhi Govt

India Today  

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that the Delhi government will conduct a large-scale survey to understand the impact of the Covid pandemic on the psychological and emotional behaviour of school children. In view of this, we have decided to conduct the study on a large scale to understand the changes in the mental and emotional state of …

UNICEF survey: Kerala CM thanks Edu Dept, parents-teachers for efforts amid COVID
2 years, 11 months ago

UNICEF survey: Kerala CM thanks Edu Dept, parents-teachers for efforts amid COVID

Deccan Chronicle  

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said collective efforts of the education department, parents, teaching community and the society have helped to ensure that the education process of the state continued unhindered during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. "Kerala is an exception: about 70 per cent of parents of both younger & adolescent students believe that overall learning …

Andhra Pradesh sees 74 per cent attendance in schools
2 years, 11 months ago

Andhra Pradesh sees 74 per cent attendance in schools

Deccan Chronicle  

Vijayawada: The number of students attending schools has gone up to 74 per cent on the second day against 61 per cent on the first day of reopening of schools after Sankranti vacation in the state. Minister for education Adimulapu Suresh here on Tuesday said that more students were turning up at the schools to attend classes given the rise …

No justification now for keeping schools closed in view of COVID-19: World Bank Education Director
2 years, 11 months ago

No justification now for keeping schools closed in view of COVID-19: World Bank Education Director

The Hindu  

There is no justification now for keeping schools closed in view of the pandemic and even if there are new waves, closing schools should be the last resort, according to the World Bank's Global Education Director Jaime Saavedra. Talking about the impact of school closures due to the pandemic in India, Mr. Saavedra said the "impact is more severe than …

COVID vaccines for ages 5 to 11 start today but can schools open safely in the shadow of Omicron?
3 years ago

COVID vaccines for ages 5 to 11 start today but can schools open safely in the shadow of Omicron?

ABC  

Sarah has worked as a teacher for decades and loves her job but this year something has shifted — she is anxious about returning to the classroom in 2022. "I just can't get a picture in my head of how schools can be safe," says Sarah, who teaches language to around 120 primary-aged children each day at a South Australian …

Odisha defers decision to reopen schools for classes 1 to 5 amid sharp rise in COVID cases
3 years ago

Odisha defers decision to reopen schools for classes 1 to 5 amid sharp rise in COVID cases

Firstpost  

Education minister SR Dash said the decision was taken after officials visited various primary schools across the state and held discussions with stakeholders Bhubaneswar: Amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, the Odisha government on Sunday said that it was withholding its decision to reopen schools for students of Classes 1 to 5 from Monday. School and mass education minister …

COVID-19 pandemic may not have been all bad for school students, study finds
3 years ago

COVID-19 pandemic may not have been all bad for school students, study finds

ABC  

Despite the significant disruption the COVID-19 pandemic caused to schools, some students still look back on the experience positively, an Australian study shows. Key points: An Australian study found students who reported creativity in their learning during the pandemic also reported less overall stress Schools have an opportunity to re-imagine the way classes are taught, researcher Dr Tim Patston said …

Two Civic Schools in Mumbai Turned Into Covid Care Centre for Prisoners Still Await Reopening
3 years ago

Two Civic Schools in Mumbai Turned Into Covid Care Centre for Prisoners Still Await Reopening

News 18  

Over two lakh students studying in classes 1 to 7 returned to their respective classrooms in Mumbai as BMC reopened schools from December 15 onwards. But students of two civic schools situated in Mumbai’s Byculla area are still waiting for their turn to enter classrooms. These two BMC-run schools at Byculla are being used as a covid care facility by …

Children and schooling in the post-COVID-19 era
3 years, 1 month ago

Children and schooling in the post-COVID-19 era

The Hindu  

When someone in the family falls sick, all normal routines and arrangements are affected. Peripheral concern Children’s education and health are two major domains in which welfare policies of the modern state are expected to support and enhance the family’s role. Restoring children’s innate desire to relate to the world physically and socially surrounding them will constitute a major step …

76% of Indian Students Faced Learning Losses During Pandemic: UNICEF
3 years, 1 month ago

76% of Indian Students Faced Learning Losses During Pandemic: UNICEF

News 18  

As many as 76 per cent of parents of children between the ages of 5-13 years, and 80 per cent of adolescents between 14-18 years, reported learning less due to extended closure of schools, as per a survey by UNICEF. “With the safe reopening of schools across the country after more than a year, the children’s Charter of Demands focuses …

How Covid-19 has forced the dropout rate to shoot up in India and what we can do
3 years, 1 month ago

How Covid-19 has forced the dropout rate to shoot up in India and what we can do

India Today  

Sabin, a primary school student from Delhi slums, had to drop out of school because her parents could no longer educate three children on their pandemic-affected meager income. Unemployment has been rising since the Covid-19 pandemic started in early 2020, which has pushed parents to prioritize survival over children’s education, especially fees in private schools. How to prevent further dropouts …

UNICEF India Calls for Urgent Action for Safe Reopening of Schools
3 years, 1 month ago

UNICEF India Calls for Urgent Action for Safe Reopening of Schools

News 18  

On the occasion of Children’s day, the United Nations Children’s Fund India unveiled Pandemic Classroom installation in the national capital. The installation which will be open for display till November 20, on World Children’s Day, aims to call for urgent action to support learning. Read | Go Beyond the Syllabus: As Schools Reopen, Children Need Help to Adjust to New …

School Closure, Digital Divide, Learning Gap: Post-COVID India Needs Resilient Education System
3 years, 2 months ago

School Closure, Digital Divide, Learning Gap: Post-COVID India Needs Resilient Education System

News 18  

Education remains the solitary ray of hope for many to break the vicious circle of poverty. However, the data released by the Unified District Information System for Education for the academic session 2019-20 shows that 78 per cent of schools in India don’t have internet facilities and more than 61 per cent do not even have computers. Approximately 12 crore …

Schools in Kerala reopen today with Covid-19 protocols
3 years, 2 months ago

Schools in Kerala reopen today with Covid-19 protocols

India Today  

Schools in Kerala are set to re-open in a staggered manner from today, that is, November 1. The schools are being reopened after a period of one-and-a-half-years for Classes 1 to 7, 10 and 12 with Covid-19 protocols like bio-bubbles in place, the state government said on Sunday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that with 95 percent of the population …

Schools need to be reopened in a phased manner with multi-layered Covid mitigation steps: ICMR study
3 years, 3 months ago

Schools need to be reopened in a phased manner with multi-layered Covid mitigation steps: ICMR study

India TV News  

The schools need to be reopened in a phased manner, suggested the Indian Council of Medical Research in its latest study. In the opinion piece that has synthesized scientific evidence from within India and abroad on the justification for reopening of schools, experts said knowing that COVID-19 transmission is an "over-dispersed" phenomenon, testing strategies in schools could serve as key …

Back at school: The Hindu Editorial on student safety during the pandemic
3 years, 4 months ago

Back at school: The Hindu Editorial on student safety during the pandemic

The Hindu  

State governments have taken the difficult decision to reopen schools for some classes, encouraged by a consensus among public health experts that the benefits to students and society at large outweigh the risks of a COVID-19 surge. A week after many of them reopened, mainly at the secondary and higher secondary level, infections among teachers and students have not triggered …

How school closures have hurt our less fortunate students more
3 years, 4 months ago

How school closures have hurt our less fortunate students more

Live Mint  

With most Indian schools shut for the past year and a half, children from poor households, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, are rapidly forgetting what they had learned before the pandemic, new survey data suggests. Previous surveys during the pandemic have also reported learning setbacks, but the latest one comes at a time when children are preparing to advance two …

The prognosis for school reopenings
3 years, 4 months ago

The prognosis for school reopenings

The Hindu  

Schools began opening in a phased manner across several Indian States on September 1. Editorial | Learning safely: On schools reopening Mathematical models With schools opening across India, will we observe an increase in cases in school children? We start with children at home and then study how cases spread in children and in adults when schools open. Findings of …

India schools cautiously reopen even as COVID warnings grow
3 years, 4 months ago

India schools cautiously reopen even as COVID warnings grow

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More students in India will …

Vaccinate teachers, children to keep schools safe from Covid-19: WHO
3 years, 4 months ago

Vaccinate teachers, children to keep schools safe from Covid-19: WHO

India TV News  

As millions of children return to school for the new academic session, vaccinating teachers and other school staff against Covid-19 disease can help make schools a safe place against the infectious disease, the World Health Organisation and Unicef said on Monday. Children aged 12 years and above who have underlying medical conditions that put them at greater risk of severe …

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