Shillong: Digital inclusion in the school education sector in Meghalaya is still a “far off dream” and therefore it is important for reopening of schools, Additional Chief Secretary for Education Donald Philips Wahlang said on Wednesday.
Speaking on the theme for World Literacy Day 2021, which is “Literacy for a Human-Centred Recovery – Narrowing the Digital Divide” on the occasion of World Literacy Day, Wahlang stated that the main objective of the programme is to raise awareness about the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.
Pointing out that the word “recovery” directly implies the impact of the pandemic in the last two years on the educational system, he said that by resorting to technology the recovery process has been gradual, but in order to have a proficient and optimal solution, digital inclusion is a must.
According to a survey conducted by the education department, in urban population only about 50-60 percent of upper primary section students and about 20-25 percent in rural population have access to basic online classes, hence there is an urgency to reopen schools amidst the pandemic because of a lack of digital inclusion, he underscored.
“The aim is to have a literate and a sustainable society by advancing literacy, by imparting education to all who are in the purview of receiving education and also to bring back children who are out of schools or institutions to the mainstream or to educational institutions,” Wahlang said.
Wahlang said that the biggest challenge in Meghalaya is the lack of foundation for students in schools and the Government of India, acknowledging this flaw in the running system of schools has shifted focus to “Foundational Learning and Numeracy”, which is a new mission under the overall umbrella of the SSA.
“This mission will give more emphasis on foundation which will be given to the students up to class 3, throughout the country,” he informed.
