No matter how advanced technology is now-a-days or how well they can bring the 'classroom to your couch', it can never replace meeting your friends in school whether to study or just hangout after classes. A recent study reiterated just that. A survey by Brainly, an online learning platform, found that eight out of 10 of Indian students miss in-person engagement with their friends and peers.
School education has been severely hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has confined students to their homes. State governments are now considering reopening schools but in a gradual manner. "The survey has found that 81 per cent of the surveyed students miss interacting with their friends and classmates in person. This finding highlights the camaraderie among classmates as a key factor in a student’s learning journey, with physical schools becoming a place where children learn not just what is taught in the classroom but also from their social interactions with their peers," said the survey.
That's not all. The survey reinforced this point with another stat — they found that 75 per cent of the students on Brainly "miss going to school". "The finding reinforces the continued relevance of brick-and-mortar classrooms and indicates why schools will advance towards a hybrid future which combines the best of digital and physical modes of instruction," it added.
There is one more striking finding. The survey said that majority of the students they surveyed — 78 per cent — said that they "use their free time to study beyond their school hours". These kids are probably more focused that 90s kids are in their 30s!
But 56 per cent of the students said that they use their leisure time to engage in extracurricular activities and hobbies. "Some of the recreational pursuits that the students like to engage in include learning a new activity (44 per cent), watching TV (32 per cent), playing video games (30 per cent), hanging out with friends (30 per cent), and surfing the social media (18 per cent)," it added.
The pandemic has seen a surge in the EdTech sector and its here to stay, said Rajesh Bysani, Chief Product Officer at Brainly. “Even after the pandemic subsides and school premises reopen, students and parents are still going to access these (online) services to assist in their learning journeys,” said Bysani.
