No child left behind

The Government recently outlined its program to improve the virtual learning environment that would allow students to continue their education during school closures due to the pandemic. Minister of Education Professor G.L. Peiris announced that online learning centres will be established countrywide to facilitate virtual learning. These centres will be staffed and equipped with tablet computers.

The proposed centres will help students who cannot get access to digital learning from home. The program which is being supported by the Ministry of Digital Technology has already allowed for nearly quarter of a million students to continue their education through the E-thaksalawa program, according to the Government. The platform has over 6,500 lessons which can be accessed by students from either their homes or the proposed online learning centres.

While it is commendable that the Government is belatedly taking the correct steps to ensure the education system is equipped to face the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it needs to be borne in mind that these actions are coming one year after the schools closed in April 2020. Children from year one to year 13 have essentially lost an entire academic year. Even by Government estimates 250,000 students are accessing the online teaching material that leaves over four million students without access to learning.

Several steps can be taken in the short and medium term. It will be crucial to increase access to smart devices for students. The Yahapalanaya administration policy to provide a tab for every schoolchild was horrendously and relentlessly mocked by the SLPP Opposition at the time. But this project, had it seen fruition would have changed the game for Sri Lankan students in a world changed by a deadly virus. Instead, the then Joint Opposition claimed that the tabs could cause cancer in children, engaging in blatantly opportunistic sloganeering to derail the project. 

Despite this chequered past, it would be the smartest option for the Government to now explore urgent actions to provide this equipment to the students. As a starting point, the Government could assist through the banking system to provide concessionary loans to parents to purchase smart devices. In the medium term the Government should revisit the previous administration’s proposed policy for tablet computers and digitising the classroom.

In these times of distance learning, it will also be crucial to bring down data costs for students and parents. While phone charges remain relatively low compared to other countries in the region, the cost of data can be high when a student is using a smart device for education purposes. Another key aspect that would determine the success of this program is the training provided for teachers to use digital technology for teaching purposes. 

The zonal education authorities should ensure that the teachers are themselves familiar with the technology provided and that they are given the necessary training opportunities. Special attention should be paid to the provincial education system, which even under normal circumstances is under-resourced compared to the schools administered by the central government.

Even after the end of the pandemic, advancements in digital technologies and virtual teaching can benefit children for a generation to come. Virtual teaching tools will help teachers to deliver their lessons better where they can use tools that will allow for showing diagrams, animations, videos, etc., which will enhance learning experience for children. This can also help increase the level of interaction with students, an issue that has been highlighted as a serious impediment in the local education system.

There is much to be done to bridge the gap between those children who receive a reasonable education and those who are falling behind during this pandemic period. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that the already existing disparities in the education system are not further exacerbated, and that no child is left behind.