DECLINING TREND IN EDUCATION WITNESSED DURING COVID-19 : A CASE STUDY OF 2020-2022

More than 82 % of students of primary education in West Bengal are dependent on Government School. When all schools remained closed for more than two years in West Bengal, most of primary school students failed to learn anything from school during those days. The poor students especially of rural areas did not have the opportunity to learn through online learning. The present study examines the effect of Covid-19 on the education of primary school children of West Bengal. The study levels an alarming situation of primary education. The study shows that a large section of students of primary schools have forgotten to solve basic mathematics and to write basic letters in their mother language. The present study is based on primary data of 750 students from primary schools in West Bengal, India. The study also confirms that during the pandemic girl students and students from village government schools were the worst hit in comparison to boys who are from city-based schools and private schools respectively. Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, primary education, primary school, rural, urban