COVID-19 IN INDIA: EDUCATION DISRUPTED AND LESSONS LEARNED

In India, 320 million students have been affected by COVID-19 school closures, and though the government quickly recommended shifting to online teaching, this ignores Indias immense digital divide-with embedded gender and class divides. The 2017-18 National Sample Survey reported only 23.8 percent of Indian households had internet access. In rural households (66 percent of the population), only 14.9 percent had access, and in urban households only 42 percent had access. And males are the primary users: 16 percent of women had access to mobile internet, compared to 36 percent of men. Young peoples access is even less: A recent news report stated only 12.5 percent of students had access to smartphones. Furthermore, most teachers are ill-equipped for online teaching.