Challenges and Opportunities for developing the quality of

          Teaching /learning process during Covid-19

                     Pandemic in the context of Kerala

                                                                                                              

         More than 1 billion and 575 million students in approximately 188 countries around the world are reported to have been affected by the closure of Schools and Universities due to preventive measures taken by countries against the spread of COVID-19 (UNESCO 2020). Every challenge opens up a new opportunity. COVID 19 shut down schools and colleges and postponed or cancelled exams but learning didn’t stop for students of Kerala due to teachers who tapped technology. Kerala State Govt ‘Physical Distance and Social Unity’, ‘Break the chain campaign’ were effectively put into practice and led to it successfully dealing with the pandemic till now.

        India bagged the second-largest position after the US in the e-learning market. Kerala’s internet penetration rate is the second-highest in the country (54%) with Delhi topping the list with 69%.               The types of online learning mode are asynchronous, synchronous, blended learning and blended online etc. In asynchronous, the learning management system (moodle) is used. In synchronous, live virtual classroom(webinar) is used. In blended learning, both face to face interaction and learning management system is used. In blended online, both learning management system and live virtual classroom is used.

      Conference apps like Google meet, Google classroom, Zoom, Webex, skypes etc are popularly used for conducting interactive classes. Teachers prepared short videos, digital books, audio stories and poems, animated stories, informative talks and virtual classes and send them across to their students via whats app and other digital mass media. The online sessions named ‘first bell’ are telecast through VICTERS channel, under the state General Education dept, for classes 1 to12 from 8.30 am to 5.30 on weekdays.  KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education) provide KOOL (KITE’s Open Online Learning) which is India’s first government- approached Massive Open Online Course(MOOC). It enables a flexible training platform for teachers without affecting their teaching hours. Computer-assisted learning facility, reading rooms, smart classrooms, computer lab etc are present in schools of Kerala. Some programmes like ‘Malayalathilakkam’, Hellow English’, ‘Sureeli Hindi’, are implemented by the general education dept. under the learning enhancement programme of Samagra Shiksha Kerala.

          Govt. Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode was selected as the second-best performer in India in 2019 by Education World India School Ranking, the World’s biggest school survey. The award was given after considering parameters like teacher’s skill, efficiency, sports education, basic amenities, management standard, social service and so on. Sterling achievements of the school in the areas of infrastructural development, academic standard and social intervention were what earned for it the award for the best PTA in the state Nadakkavu School has become a model for the General Education Protection Mission of the Govt .of Kerala.

        Kerala has achieved a human development index comparable to the developed countries of the world. The School Education Quality Index(SEQI) with the reference year 2016-17 has been developed by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI AAYOG) to provide insights and data-based feedback on the success of school education across the states and Union Territories of India. The report highlights the quality of education in Kerala. The index consists of indicators that assess the quality education of the country. The indicators are classified under two categories:

a.      Outcomes

b.      Governance processes

Outcomes are divided into four domains

1. Learning outcomes

2. Access outcomes

3. Infrastructure outcomes

4.Equity outcomes

Governance processes are divided into four domains

1.Training

2.Availability of teachers

3.Attendance of both teachers and students

4. Administrative adequacy

The state and Union territories have been categorized into three groups

Large states

Small states

Union Territories

       According to the report, Kerala recorded impressive performance by securing 82.17% score and secured the top position. Rajasthan and Karnataka are in the top second and third position in overall performance ranking in 20 large states. Among 8 small states Manipur, Tripura and Goa bagged the top three position respectively. Of the 8 UTs, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli bagged the first and second position respectively.

        The drawbacks of online education are the non-availability of high-speed internet in rural areas, poor financial background of the students to purchase smartphones/ laptops and full time students and teachers don’t have an account on digital platforms and most of them never used the system before.

References

1.      Kool.kite.kerala.gov.in

2.      Timesofindia.indiatimes.com

3.      http://www.the bestschools.org/synchronous vs asynchronous- education

4.      http://www.drishtiias.com/daily updates/school education-quality-index-niti-aayog