Lockdown has hurt education of 247 mn school kids in India: UNICEF report

According to the report, at least 600 million South Asian children have been threatened by the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

A report prepared by UNICEF has revealed that COVID-19 pandemic in India and lockdown has "impacted" 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary education, besides 28 million children who were undergoing pre-school education in Anganwadi centres.

According to the report, at least 600 million South Asian children have been threatened by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing out the revelations in India's perspective on education and learning of a child, the UN report said, "In India, school closures have impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary education. It has impacted about 28 million children who were attending pre-school education in Anganwadi centres. This is in addition to more than six million girls and boys who were already out of school prior to the COVID-19 crisis."

However, the report has highlighted the efforts done by the central and state government to continue education for children through multiple e-platforms like web portals, mobile apps, TV channels, radio and podcasts to reach children, Diksha platform, Swayam Prabha TV channels, e-Pathshala and the National Repository of Open Educational Resources.

In the wake of COVID-19 lockdown, recently, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared an alternative academic calendar for classes 1 to 12 with suggested activities to guide learning at home.

Importantly, UNICEF report has indicated that approximately only a quarter of households (24 per cent) in India have access to the internet and there is a large rural-urban and gender divide.

88% of marginalised children beaten at school; 91% parents okay with it

71% of children believed it's okay to be beaten up 'for a reason', having been taught its for 'their own good' and 'necessary'.

A toxic combination of poverty, poorly-paid teachers with anti-migrant prejudice and a lack of training on nonviolent discipline in government schools means marginalised children are significantly more likely to experience corporal punishment, said a new study.

Corporal punishment is a form of violence against children and is illegal in India.

Yet 80% of marginalised children report being punished by teachers, while an average of 43% said they were regularly beaten, up to three times a week, according to a new report by Agrasar, an NGO. In some schools the number of regularly beaten students rose to 88%.

The abuse does not end along with the school day. The majority of these children also experienced beatings at home (74%), while a similar proportion of parents admitting to doling out beatings at home (71%).

These are the findings of a survey from a randomised sample of 521 children and 100 parents in Gurugram, an area which experienced a 29% increase in migrant arrivals between 2000 and 2011, largely from poorer states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

However, “given that the same mechanisms of economic deprivation and social exclusion are at work, the findings apply to disadvantaged children elsewhere in India”, the report said.

No positive outcomes of corporal punishment have been found, while it is established that physical and mental forms of abuse can have a detrimental effect on child health and wellbeing, including mental-health problems, behavioural issues and cognitive ability, according to the report.(Business Standard)

The fear and stress associated with corporal punishment can create “school-phobia”, leading to increased dropouts, low-retention rates and poor academic scores, significantly impacting on education outcomes, the report said. Children who have experienced such abuse are also more likely to display criminal behaviour, commit violent crimes as adults and suffer from substance abuse.

In 1992, India became one of 128 countries to agree to the United Nations (UN) Convention of Rights of the Child 1989, which outlawed school corporal punishment and required the government under article 28(2) to ensure that “school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity”... Read More