National Coalition survey on Education Emergency finds parents worried about children's basic skills

According to the survey, a majority of parents were in favour of offline classes, due to stress on parents and children
Pic: Edex Live
Pic: Edex Live

A survey on the state of children's education in Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu has found that children are under stress and have lost basic skills like the ability to read and write, post-pandemic lockdowns. The report, titled 'Cries of Anguish', was released by the National Coalition on the Education Emergency (NCEE).

The survey, conducted in two Karnataka districts, had a sample size of 102 families, with a total of 176 children surveyed from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular, in rural and urban areas. The study found that a majority of parents was concerned about their children’s skills in reading and writing, and reported that they had either stayed the same or declined. Interestingly, parents of 80 per cent of government school students reported the issue, compared to 59 per cent from private schools in Karnataka.

Parents reported that their children had displayed a lack of routine, discipline, motivation and an interest in education, as well as the inability to focus. Further, they reported that due to exposure to online classes and lockdowns, they were dealing with a high level of mental stress and loneliness, and an addiction to technology. According to the report, another cause for this might have been the lack of supervision of children, as 81 per cent took up labour or agricultural jobs that required them to be away from home.

Parents noted the following changes: lack of routine and discipline, inability to focus, lack of motivation and interest in education, addiction to mobile phones, games and TV, changes in eating habits, mental stress and loneliness. Several parents noted that young children, in particular, had lost even the daily routine of eating and hygiene. Many of these parents are working outside the home and have nobody to supervise children at home.

According to the survey, a majority of parents were in favour of offline classes, due to stress on parents and children. They reported that a core reason for this was also a lack of online classes or the way in which they were conducted. Many children faced difficulty in paying attention to lessons, especially since those with access used only phones and faced unstable internet connections.

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