Digital learning and the lopsidedness of the education in government and private primary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in West Bengal, India

Abstract

Since March 2020, all academic institutions have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been encouraged online mode of education to the students in West Bengal, India. The most profound negative effect of the school closure has been noticed on primary education. This research examines how school closures in both government and private primary schools in West Bengal result in uneven teaching-learning opportunities in formal and non-formal education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study was conducted based on an online survey in West Bengal using a structured questionnaire. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Shapiro-Wilk Test, Pearson Chi-squared (χ2) test, and logistic regression were used to check the relationships among the variables. Based on 473 responses to an online survey administered to the parents and educated family members of 3–10 years aged children from both government and private primary schools in West Bengal. The authors' analysis shows the teaching-learning opportunities varied significantly. Further, the study revealed a noticeable gap between government and private primary schools. The study depicts that students from urban areas have more accessibility to online education than those living in rural areas. The study revealed that 98.7% of private schools and 33.7% of students from government primary schools could access online education. Statistically significant differences were observed between both categories of schools in academic affairs during the pandemic.