Covid-19 takes its toll on rural kids: Only 8% attend online classes, 37% not studying at all

The coronavirus outbreak and the lockdowns that followed have impacted children's education in the country. The worst affected are the rural school-going kids.

A survey done by economists Jean Deeze, Ritika Khera, and researcher Vipul Paikara shows that only 8% of rural kids are attending online classes and 37% are not studying at all.

The survey that covers 1400 students enrolled in Class 1st to 8th across 15 states and UTs also highlighted the stark urban-rural divide.

Where only 8% of rural students get to attend the online classes, 24% of urban school goers have regular attendance in online classes.

One of the biggest reasons is the accessibility to smartphones. Even if they have smartphones, only 15% of rural students have access to online study material at the same time the percent for kids from town and cities is much higher at 31%.

The survey also revealed that many students who were studying in private schools when the lockdown was first implemented in March, last year, had migrated to government schools due to their families' financial hardships. While 1/5th of the 1400 kids who participated in the survey were studying in Private schools, around a quarter of them have now moved to government schools.