As per the ASER 2020, everyone uses WhatsApp as a medium to send learning materials during COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.
WhatsApp is one of the instant messaging applications available on most popular platforms such as Android and iOS. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for the year 2020, simplified by a non-governmental organization called Pratham, which purely focuses on educational-based workings. It disclosed that it was accurate for both government and private schools.
WhatsApp is the most commonly used medium by students or teachers for distributing all learning materials and sharing activities. This is through phone calls and visits trail, says the ASER 2020 report.
In its first-ever phone-based survey, ASER found that only one-third of enrolled children had received some form of learning materials or activities from their teachers till September this year. https://t.co/niTuSm8hZU
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A greater percentage of students signed up in private schools deliver materials through WhatsApp than their complements in government schools. Nowadays, it becomes more common among children who enrolled in government schools, can easily access learning materials or any activities via phone calls without any difficulties. Through this, students can maintain a friendly approach with teachers, says the report.
An inspection was taken over the mobile phones across 584 districts in September 2020. The survey covers 30 states and other Union territories. It touched a whole of 52,227 ménages and more than 59,200 children between the age group of 5-16 years. By the same token, teachers or head schoolteachers from 8,963 government schools contributing primary grades.
Admissions see a rise and fall in some age groups
The ASER 2020 report uttered boys in the midst of 6-10 age categories has a piercing rise in the number of children that were not presently joined up, from 1.8 percent to 5.3 percent in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The report also shows a similar increment among girls in the same age group.
This ratio has amplified much less among both boys and girls in the age category of 11-14. The ratio of children not enrolled at this time has essentially lessened more than 2018 levels among the 15-16 age cluster.
Learning activities at home
As per the report, largely 70% of children performed random commotion; meanwhile, 30.5% of government schools and 28.1% of private school children didn’t get involved in any activities announced.
Moreover, more families now can get access to a smartphone in the current time. This is compared to two to three years ago.
If a student can access a smartphone or the smartphone was existing in the household, there’s a huge possibility of a child’s access to open material through WhatsApp. Fascinatingly, even children who had no smartphones or at a level lower than the level we’re able to access WhatsApp using someone else’s smartphone.
However, children who don’t have a smartphone in their families can avail of materials through physical visits.
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