Participation of private financial capital in education: implications and suggestions for regulatory framework

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a watershed moment for India’s Edtech sector. Schools, colleges, and educational institutes have gone online due to nationwide lockdowns. Research conducted in several countries has suggested that persistent lockdowns during Covid-19, and the resulting shift to ed-tech solutions, risk widening the already burgeoning social inequity in our society. While affluent schools could make the transition to EdTech platforms, there is a considerable section of the population that has been isolated from the edtech landscape. Students in government schools and in smaller towns and villages as well as kids seeking personalised coaching have been affected the worst. Students’ health, increased domestic responsibilities for girls, unavailability of mid-day meals in some contexts, and several other associated factors that enable learning are severely compromised at this time. The tech divide is considerable— while Internet penetration is as high as 80% in some Southeast Asian countries, it is only at 39% in Vietnam and other African countries. Lack of smartphones and low bandwidth internet are additional concerns. According to a recent UN report, only 29% of all internet users are female, which indicates that transitions to digital learning may compound the gender gap in education, especially considering that girls seldom have exclusive or prolonged access to the phone that is at home (Bhattacharya & Saxena, 2020). An incredibly challenging context is regarding fragile countries, experiencing conflict or violence (FCV), in which evidence shows learning poverty is over 90% with girls’ education being compromised the most. Extended school closures may cause loss of learning in the short-term. Future ramifications include human capital losses and reduced economic opportunities. Countries are currently working on a three-phase approach: 1. Coping phase to manage school closures 2. Preparatory phase to manage learning continuity when schools eventually open up 3. Forward-looking phase of resilience and reform to improve the system for the long run. To help mitigate the loss of learning, many countries are pursuing options to utilise remote education to manage and cope with the crisis (World Bank Education, 2020). Another problem that cannot be solved immediately is the lack of preparation for the new reality. A report by EdTech Hub and Digital Pathways at Oxford highlights the difficulties in adapting the curriculum for online mediums which have been thrust upon students by sudden school closures, mainly because of uncertainty surrounding the length of national lockdowns. Therefore, while elite private education institutions and deep-pocketed clientele might find it relatively more straightforward to make the transition, it will be very difficult for under-resourced communities. The crisis has starkly highlighted the inequities in digital access and that ‘business as usual’ will not work for imparting education to all children. Education systems must adapt. Technology will have to play an integral role to deliver education to the students outside of school.