As of January 2021, the internet penetration stood at 45.0% in India. Despite such challenges of accessibility, online schooling is still a popular concept in India. Several parents have appreciated this model in the past. And many others are willing to take it up till the time their children are vaccinated.
Globally, the past two years have taught us some innovative ways of imparting instructions. And virtual schooling is one such medium that has stood the test of time.
Here is a look at six reasons why online schooling is catching on in India:
1. Uncertainty of traditional schools that have gone online
Many of us are holding on to the teachings of the past. We already know that our education systems lack the desired flexibility. There is an urgent need to create a resilient system that can withstand hurdles and hindrances. But unfortunately, most of our traditional schooling methods lacked a proper backup plan. As a result, many of them failed to deliver the desired level of education. The world continues to battle with unresolved threats. And this once again leaves our traditional systems vulnerable.
Our education system needs more and better alternatives to carry out the teaching and learning processes. And this makes way for online education as a perfect educational alternative.
With online schools, students can stay secure at home. At the same time, they can also carry on with their studies. And enjoy their leisure time with their family or devote it to learning new skills.
2. Quality concerns
India is a country full of diversity. But its heterogeneous nature also leads to a number of inequalities including access to educational opportunities. Not all Indian students have access to the same quality of education. And these stark differences deprive several capable students of the chance to unleash their true potential.
Researches have highlighted that a lack of teacher quality in India adversely affects the overall quality of education. Educational inequality and low-quality education collectively hamper the student’s academic achievements. And several bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to complete their education from the top institutions due to shortage of funds.
According to sources, only 2.9% of disadvantaged students from a sample size were amongst the top performers in reading. But, they studied with low achievers. And this adversely impacted their academic performance. Online schooling streamlines these quality-related challenges for students. Besides, it is also a cost-effective choice for several students from varied financial backgrounds.
3. A Resolution for Disparities
Our Indian education system needs more structural reforms to accommodate varied types of students. However, virtual schooling offers equal opportunities to all students despite their unique life preferences and learning styles. Students with physical challenges, learning disabilities, accessibility issues, and special learning needs (like gifted or academically backward) can make use of this educational medium. The opportunity of flexible learning eliminates all barriers to learning. And students avail equitable learning opportunities through these progressive schools right within their home settings.
Virtual schooling extends the same learning opportunities to all students. Yet this learning environment is highly customizable for students. They can tailor their learning as per their individual learning needs. And online classes are also better for the mental health of students who struggle in regular classrooms. This option improves their academic prospects. And they also become more intrinsically motivated to learn.
4. Making up for the lost time
Now that the Indian parents have acknowledged the uncertainty of the future, many of them do not wish to return back to regular schools with learning gaps. The past two years have aggravated these academic gaps to a great extent. Online schooling is a tool used by Indian parents to bridge these gaps. This medium has supported students despite school closures. And continues to serve them out of the regular classrooms.
Self-paced online education has also helped students to improve their understanding of the subject matter. And the high-quality online resources created by top educationalists of the world prove to be highly beneficial for students to achieve their academic goals. Virtual learning is an affordable mode of good quality education. And it has widened the choice of educational content for the global community of learners.
5. The vision to make students independent learners
Most of us want our kids to be self-dependent and responsible for their own learning. But our typical schooling designs do not have much scope to make this happen. Self-paced asynchronous duration of online education can be used to help students gain autonomy over their learning. Parents can help them to align their time as per the topics that need more attention. And through a mix of good educational content, they can grasp concepts better. With a certain level of control over their learning, online schooling contributes towards making students independent learners. They learn how to manage their coursework, meet deadlines and prepare for online classes (discussions and project presentations, etc.). This benefit of online education makes it a much sought-after educational choice. As most parents in India feel the need of making their children independent learners to reduce the hustle-bustle of their everyday lives.
6. Better Interactions
Other than the above-mentioned reasons, online schooling is also picking up pace because of its advantage of connectedness. Students can interact with their peers and teachers in a more open environment. This adds value to their overall learning experiences.
An online learning environment makes better interactions feasible as students have enough time to introspect on the aspects of their supporting statements. And this makes them more comfortable and confident while participating in an online class.
Parting Thoughts:
Online schooling can be a superior choice over traditional learning because of its student-centric designs. It makes the students and teachers more active during their learning process. And shifts the focus from memorization to the understanding of topics.
Several Indian parents are ensuring academic success for their kids through online schooling. You can also check out these innovative virtual schooling programs and experience the effectiveness of this medium yourself!
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