As a follow up on my previous post, wherein I took a bird eye's view on the need for use of technology in education, I would want to run by some of the basic constraints to the use. As I made the case for digital literacy for students, I also realised that it cannot be provided by teachers who are not digitally aware. And we can rule out the possibility of specialised trainers/coaches providing the training because when you look at the massive structure of Indian education system coupled with the fact that we cannot provide enough good teachers, starting off a drive for digital education through specialised trainers looks highly improbable.
Here is a fact from my block: Rajound in Kaithal District, Haryana - All High Schools and Senior Secondary Schools have been provided with a computer lab. Each lab has roughly 20 computers each. However, there are only lab assistants here and no trained computers teachers in any school.
But the problems are much wider than that. When I speak of use of technology, I am speaking of digitization of the whole process. And that whole process needs to really go the "whole" way. What we have right now is an aversion to technology at the grassroots while the work continues to drag on with the same speed as it did before internet. The ABRCs (Assistant Block Resource Coordinators. P.S.: If you want to understand the way the government works, the first step is to get used to acronyms.) have all been provided computer training but barring one, all continue to submit their reports in paper. These reports are all entered into excel etc. by a data operator. The poor soul that she is, even has to cope with new versions of software of DISE (google this one!) and re-enter data for all schools while trying to keep up with new versions. Going the whole way here would imply taking the system live wherein updates are made on the back-end without any problems to the user. This may seem very basic but when you are working in the government, you don't find these basic things in place.
The end result is that the schools have requirements in terms of infrastructure or the staff has ideas to improve the education standards, but none of that reach the decision makers. Picture this: Any infrastructural requirement of a school is to be followed up by a JE (Junior Engineer) who makes financial estimates for the work required. The estimates are not localised but have to be made according to a booklet. The JE has no knowledge of the computers.
Two problems here: One, a JE is required to visit all schools. Some schools are inaccessible (In my block, more than half of them) and as the JE takes his own sweet time to do the estimates, I am pretty confident that the schools will not have their supplies before 3 to 4 months. Up until that time there will be another survey showing no improvement in learning levels and another set of DISE data to enter showing that the same requirements have not been fulfilled and the funds have remained underutilized. Secondly, since he has no knowledge of computers, I will never be able to track his work down and I would eventually receive a huge pile of data set that I will be incapable of verifying and would simply forward it to my seniors for approval.
To run something as huge as the Government Education System; systematic, continuous and fast flow of information is imperative. There is no reason why the information, no matter how complex, cannot reach the decision makers within minutes. There is no reason why we cannot have an algorithm for estimating costs when even the JE on the ground is also doing it through a booklet. The ground reality is that nobody at the ground understands technology and even when training has been provided, the employees have kept away from using it. It is not just a lack of understanding of the technology. It is also a fear of it combined with the laziness that comes with a sarkari naukri that has failed the efforts of the government. But we can't escape this phase. Basic systems need to be in place so that everyone involved can focus on learning levels. Otherwise, we're just beating about the bush trying to kid ourselves that we're making a contribution.
Here is a fact from my block: Rajound in Kaithal District, Haryana - All High Schools and Senior Secondary Schools have been provided with a computer lab. Each lab has roughly 20 computers each. However, there are only lab assistants here and no trained computers teachers in any school.
But the problems are much wider than that. When I speak of use of technology, I am speaking of digitization of the whole process. And that whole process needs to really go the "whole" way. What we have right now is an aversion to technology at the grassroots while the work continues to drag on with the same speed as it did before internet. The ABRCs (Assistant Block Resource Coordinators. P.S.: If you want to understand the way the government works, the first step is to get used to acronyms.) have all been provided computer training but barring one, all continue to submit their reports in paper. These reports are all entered into excel etc. by a data operator. The poor soul that she is, even has to cope with new versions of software of DISE (google this one!) and re-enter data for all schools while trying to keep up with new versions. Going the whole way here would imply taking the system live wherein updates are made on the back-end without any problems to the user. This may seem very basic but when you are working in the government, you don't find these basic things in place.
The end result is that the schools have requirements in terms of infrastructure or the staff has ideas to improve the education standards, but none of that reach the decision makers. Picture this: Any infrastructural requirement of a school is to be followed up by a JE (Junior Engineer) who makes financial estimates for the work required. The estimates are not localised but have to be made according to a booklet. The JE has no knowledge of the computers.
Two problems here: One, a JE is required to visit all schools. Some schools are inaccessible (In my block, more than half of them) and as the JE takes his own sweet time to do the estimates, I am pretty confident that the schools will not have their supplies before 3 to 4 months. Up until that time there will be another survey showing no improvement in learning levels and another set of DISE data to enter showing that the same requirements have not been fulfilled and the funds have remained underutilized. Secondly, since he has no knowledge of computers, I will never be able to track his work down and I would eventually receive a huge pile of data set that I will be incapable of verifying and would simply forward it to my seniors for approval.
To run something as huge as the Government Education System; systematic, continuous and fast flow of information is imperative. There is no reason why the information, no matter how complex, cannot reach the decision makers within minutes. There is no reason why we cannot have an algorithm for estimating costs when even the JE on the ground is also doing it through a booklet. The ground reality is that nobody at the ground understands technology and even when training has been provided, the employees have kept away from using it. It is not just a lack of understanding of the technology. It is also a fear of it combined with the laziness that comes with a sarkari naukri that has failed the efforts of the government. But we can't escape this phase. Basic systems need to be in place so that everyone involved can focus on learning levels. Otherwise, we're just beating about the bush trying to kid ourselves that we're making a contribution.
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