COVID-19 chaos: Forget computers, tablets and high-speed internet, many don’t even have access to a quiet study space

  • Home
  • Print/ Online Media
  • COVID-19 chaos: Forget computers, tablets and high-speed internet, many don’t even have access to a quiet study space

( August 17, 2020 )

There still seems no end in sight to the COVID crisis. There is the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, but across the world, scientists have raised a red flag at the rush to hit the market at the expense of trials that test the safety and efficacy of the drug. As nations limp back out of lockdowns, there are new waves of patients, putting additional strain on an already exhausted system. No one seems to know when this will end. When we can all get back to ‘normal’ life.

In all this, the economies of many nations have taken a battering, with high unemployment, low demand, and no easy way out of the crisis. The people most hit are those who were just clawing their way out of poverty. Across the world, low-income workers have borne the brunt of the lockdowns, and a lack of a comprehensive social security net has created acute distress amongst a variety of service professionals, who otherwise kept households, offices, infrastructure, and factories running. And, nowhere is the impact on these households more stark than on the hope that they had for the future – the education of their children, to help them start at a higher level on the socio-economic ladder.

With Covid and the lockdown, educational institutes shut their doors. Students have been passed, classes have moved online, teachers have adapted, and all seems normal, with many asking why this wasn’t possible earlier. But not everyone has access to computers, tablets, and high-speed internet. Most students in India do not have access to these. Many don’t even have access to a space where they can study in relative quiet. And, for these students, school was a place where they got some education, and some food. Right now, neither seems accessible. There are around 250 million students in the school system, and 37.4 million students in the higher education system. And, many of them have been impacted with teaching moving online.

There are stories from across the country about young men and women dying by suicide because of their inability to access online education. Some have no access to the basic equipment needed to attend a class – a basic smartphone; others found it difficult to cope with the transition to online education. In all cases however, the most impacted were from the marginal socio-economic classes.

A survey by the NGO Smile Foundation reveals that over 56% of students in rural India and urban slums do not have access to even a smartphone, let alone a laptop. Over 69% of the respondents said they had no access to a TV set. By all accounts, it seems that this year is a lost one for many. For students who are also first-generation learners, the pressure to drop out and find a job to feed their family will be huge.

A core issue is going to be how to get these students back on the education grid and ensure that the move to online does not end up moving them out of education. A policy initiative to get a tablet into the hands of every student, and steady internet connection is going to be vital. The Prime Minister has promised optic fibre network to every village in the next 1,000 days but this time-frame has to be halved if we want to ensure that large numbers of students aren’t left behind. But we need more than just optic cable, we need a robust approach to online learning, that is easily accessible, usable, and scalable.

For online education to be optimal, you need a screen that is bigger than that of a smartphone, a steady internet connection, and a learning management system that allows the teacher to control the flow of the classroom. Ideally, the system should allow interactivity and the teacher in control, to ensure that the class does not end in chaos. Right now, we are cobbling together lectures using free software – Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft teams – but to be effective, e-learning must be a lot more than an online class. It has to be an integrated ecosystem, where lectures are one part of the overall offerings to the student. If we are to move to more classes online, more thought must go into this.

Finally, this is not just an India-specific problem. The UNESCO estimates that 826 million students worldwide do not have access to a computer, and 706 million have no internet at home. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 89% of students have no access either to computers or to the internet. Both poverty reduction and the rise in education are part of the Sustainable Development Goals. India would do well to help build a global consensus on rebuilding educational systems for the poorest, ground up. The question is whether the Government can rise up to the challenge.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/covid-19-chaos-exacerbates-the-digital-divide

Privacy Policy - Smile Foundation

Information Gathering

1. Smile Foundation collects information from the users in a number of ways, for example when the user:

  • Makes a donation
  • Signs up for a campaign
  • Signs up to stay updated

2. While forwarding a donation for Smile Foundation the well-wishers have to submit some personal information as it would help us ensuring genuine contributions:

  • Your name
  • Your email and mailing address
  • Your telephone number
  • Your payment processing details
  • Any other data as required

3. Smile Foundation does not collect or record the user’s personal information unless he/she chooses to provide it.

Use of Personal Information

1. General browsing of Smile Foundation website is anonymous and it does not register the user’spersonal information except the time, date and place of visits and the name of internet service provider. This data is used only for statistics and diagnosis.

2. By signing up for various services offered by Smile Foundation, the user explicitly authorizes us to collect information based on the user’s usage. The information is used to help provide a better experience to the user and is used as per the user’s specified instructions.

3. Smile Foundation keeps the user information strictly confidential and this information is secured safely. All relevant information collected through Smile Foundation website is handled and used by internal and/or authorized officials only. It is nevershared with any external agencies or third party individuals.

4. Smile Foundation uses the information givento it in the following ways:

  • To keep an accurate record of all the donations received
  • To update users about its happenings and developments through bulletins and newsletters, with an option of not to subscribe for the same
  • To make sure the user is receiving the most appropriate and relevant information
  • To find out more about the people who are visiting the Smile Foundationwebsite, donating, or joining its campaigns

5. Usually, Smile Foundation does not store user data. In case of specific sign-ups, the data is stored as per user request. The user can opt to delete all the information he/she has provided by simply requesting such by mail. All information, without exception, will be deleted in two working days.

Privacy of e-mail lists

Individuals who join Smile Foundation’s mailing lists via its website or through its campaigning engagements are added to its email database. Smile Foundation does not sell, rent, loan, trade, or lease the addresses on our lists to anyone.

Cookie Policy

1. Cookies are pieces of electronic information which will be sent by Smile Foundation when a user visitsthe website. These will be placed in the hard disk of the user’s computer and enable Smile Foundation to recognise the user when he/she visits the website again.

2. The user can configure his/her browser so that it responds to cookies the way he/she deems fit. For example, you make want to accept all cookies, reject them all or get notified when a cookie is sent. The users may check their browser’s settings to modify cookie behaviour as per individual behaviour.

3. If a user disables the use of cookies on the web browser, or removes or rejects specific cookies from Smile Foundation’swebsite or linked sites then he/she may not be able to use the website as it is intended.

Payment Gateway

1. SmileFoundation uses well-recognised and proven technology for payments. Payment information is transferred by the use of an SSL connection which offers the highest degree of security that the donor’s browser is able to support.

2. Several layers of built-in security, including an advanced firewall system, encryption of credit card numbers, and use of passwords, protect the collected information.

External Web Services

1. Smile Foundation uses a number of external web services on its site to display content within its web pages. For example, to display video it uses YouTube. As with the social media buttons, Smile Foundation cannot prevent these sites, or external domains, from collecting information on the user’s consumption of the content embedded on its site.

2. The Smile Foundation website contains links to other websites for the benefit of its visitors. This Privacy Policy does not apply to such other websites.

3. Smile Foundation is not expressly or impliedly responsible for, or liable to any loss or damage caused to a user by the collection, use and retention of Personal Information by such website in any manner whatsoever. It is important that the users review the privacy policies of all websites they visit before disclosing any information to such websites.

Changes to Privacy Policy

1. As and when the need arises, Smile Foundation may alter its privacy policy in accordance with the latest technology and trends. It will provide you with timely notice of these changes. The users may reach out to Smile Foundation if they have any queries about any changes made to its practices.

2. If you have any questions at all about Smile Foundation’s privacy policy, please write to us at: [email protected]

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Welcome to this web-site of SMILE FOUNDATION. We make public our policy on refund and cancellation of donations received for the social cause on payment gateway as under:-

  • No refund/cancellation for the donated amount by any donor will not be entertained, the online donations through the online payment gateway.
  • No cash or refund of money will be allowed.
  • If any in-kind support received by the donor from any where the material will be reached to the poorest of the poorer communities.
  • Once received the donation for a cause will not be refunded to the donor. No cancellation to be made. The donation will be used for the community development, children education or women’s empowerment.
Terms and Conditions

Use of this site is provided by SMILE FOUNDATION subject to the following Terms and Conditions:

SMILE FOUNDATION reserves the rights to change these terms and conditions at any time by posting changes online. Your continued use of this site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of this agreement as modified. You agree to use this site only for lawful purposes, and in a manner which does not infringe the rights, or restrict, or inhibit the use and enjoyment of the site by any third party.

This site and the information, names, images, pictures, logos regarding or relating to SMILE FOUNDATION are provided “as is” without any representation or endorsement made and without warranty of any kind whether express or implied. In no event will SMILE FOUNDATION be liable for any damages including, without limitation, indirect or consequential damages, or any damages whatsoever arising from the use or in connection with such use or loss of use of the site, whether in contract or in negligence.

SMILE FOUNDATION does not warrant that the functions contained in the material contained in this site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or bugs or represents the full functionality, accuracy and reliability of the materials.

Copyright restrictions:

Commercial use or publication of all or any item displayed is strictly prohibited without prior authorization from SMILE FOUNDATION. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring any license by SMILE FOUNDATION to use any item displayed.

Documents may be copied for personal use only on the condition that copyright and source indications are also copied, no modifications are made and the document is copied entirely. However, some documents and photos have been published on this site with the permission of the relevant copyright owners (who are not SMILE FOUNDATION). All rights are reserved on these documents and permission to copy them must be requested from the copyright owners (the sources are indicated within these documents/photographs).

SMILE FOUNDATION takes no responsibility for the content of external Internet sites. Other websites that we link to are owned and operated by third parties and SMILE FOUNDATION has no control over them. The fact that we include links to other websites does not mean that SMILE FOUNDATION approves of or endorses any other third party website or the content of that website. We accept no liability for any statements, information, products or services that are published on or are accessible through any websites owned or operated by third parties.

Any communication or material that you transmit to, or post on, any public area of the site including any data, questions, comments, suggestions, or the like, is, and will be treated as, non-confidential and nonproprietary information. If there is any conflict between these terms and conditions and rules and/or specific terms of use appearing on this site relating to specific material then the latter shall prevail.

These terms and conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of India.

If these terms and conditions are not accepted in full, the use of this site must be terminated immediately. SMILE FOUNDATION for Social Welfare Service is a registered at

161 B/4, 3rd Floor, Gulmohar House
Yusuf Sarai Community Centre
New Delhi-110049
Phone : +91-11-43123700

Supplementing & In Alignment with Government Initiatives

EDUCATION

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
National Education Policy
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
Digital India

lIVELIHOOD

Skill India
Enhancing Formal Skilling



HEALTH

National Rural Health Mission
Universal Health Coverage
National Digital Health Mission
Promotion of Govt. Health Schemes

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Anaemia Mukt Bharat
Poshan Abhiyan
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Anganwadi Strengthening