More than 31.3 lakh students inKarnatakadont have digital devices, 37.8 lakh lack Internet access and 8.7 lakh have no television or radio in their homes, said a government report on Thursday. The department of public instruction released the report, which details gadget and net availability, as thousands of government and state board schools in Karnataka reopened for the academic year 2021-22 in virtual mode.
Over 1 crore children are enrolled in classes 1 to 10 in the state. It seems from the findings that a large number of students of government schools may be deprived of mainstream Education. Like 2020, it is unlikely that they will be called for regular oncampus classes anytime soon. Learning will take place through online modes such as WhatsApp andYou-Tube, and DDChandanachannels.
The report has once again brought the issue of the digital divide into focus. Educationists have been saying that lakhs of students miss out on learning because of officials and schools emphasis on technology. They have suggested that the government must find ways to restart offline classes safely.
Bengaluru Urban (South) has the highest number of students (11.1 lakh) among all education districts. According to the report, more than 8 lakh students here have smartphones or tablets, while 1.4 lakh have neither of these. Nearly 7 lakh students have internet access, but 2 lakh students dont. Over 9 lakh students have a TV and 2 lakh have a radio, while 37,213 have neither.