How COVID-19 Has Affected the Education System in India

Countries around the world have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but by some accounts, India may be amongst the worst. India has seen over 34 million confirmed cases of the virus, with over 450,000 confirmed deaths and, according to many reports, these are grossly under-reported numbers. 

The effects of the pandemic have been crippling, undoing years of socio-economic progress and impacting a range of development sectors of the country including healthcare, transportation, agriculture, and even education. The effects on the education system are especially troubling as India has the world’s largest population of individuals under the age of 25—over 600 million. Here’s how COVID-19 has affected the education system in India: 

● A Transition to Online Learning - Like many other countries, India closed its schools for in-person classes and transitioned to online learning. Unfortunately, this transition left out of the education process those individuals who didn’t have access to the internet and communications devices. Amongst the worst impacted are the rural communities, as only 15% of rural Indian households have access to the internet. This led to a partial or a complete lack of access to education for many students. 

● A Rise in Students Dropping Out - The severe economic impact of the pandemic has forced many students to discontinue their education in order to work and help their families tide over these difficult times. This has significantly impacted low-income families, who are unable to afford schooling for their children. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, unemployment in India jumped from 8.4% in March 2020 to over 24% in May 2020. Dr. Pravat Kumar Jena explains that when the unemployment rate rises, education rates decrease as people struggle to find food for their families instead of pursuing an education. 

● Postponed Examinations - When schools closed, they also postponed many examinations for students. These examinations are especially important for university and college students looking to graduate and find work. Postponed examinations factored into other issues in India during the pandemic, like the nurse shortage and increased unemployment rate. 

● Negative Impact on Teachers - Caught off guard, many teachers were unprepared for the transition to online learning and did not have the technical tools, support, or knowledge to be able to successfully teach their students. This led to inefficient lessons and additional duties that teachers were unprepared for. Some teachers also took on side jobs during the pandemic in order to make ends meet.

● Lack of Support for Students - Many students depend on school for their meals and university students also rely on their school for housing. School and university closures left many without enough to eat or a place to stay, with some students even living in bus stations when college dorms were closed. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the education system in India, which intersects with other developmental challenges that face the country. In response to the ongoing crisis, Tiyara has launched COVID-19 Recovery Scholarships to support financially vulnerable students who have lost their parents to the pandemic. 

Over 70% of our current students are pursuing health-related education like nursing and radiography to shore up the desperately needed healthcare infrastructure in India. You can help make a difference in the life of a student by putting them through college and, at the same time, help India build its healthcare system by contributing to this cause today!