States were ranked according to the percentage of schools that had internet access and a functional computer facility.
Out of more than 15 lakh schools in India, only 22.3 percent had access to the internet in the academic year 2019-2020, a report by the Ministry of Education revealed last week. Furthermore, only 37.13 percent of schools had functional computer facilities.
In a year when online education was the norm owing to the pandemic, these figures shed light on India’s poor digital infrastructure. Just as students relied on a mobile or laptop with internet access to attend classes, many teachers relied on their school’s infrastructure to conduct these classes. The lack of such infrastructure reveals the extent of the digital divide that plagues the country. It also raises questions on India’s ability to have a hybrid model of education as schools re-open with staggered attendance.
The digital divide is further evident between states. While most union territories perform well in both computer availability and internet access, there’s a significant disparity between states as well as between types of schools. Here are some other statistics revealed in the annual Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) report.
Access to internet
Percentage of schools that had access to the internet in
- 2019-20 – 22.3 percent
- 2018-19 – 8.7 percent
- 2012-12 – 6.2 percent
Percentage of schools that had access to the internet by management
- Government – 11.6 percent
- Government-aided – 42.2 percent
- Private – 50.2 percent
- Others – 21.42 percent
States with the highest percentage of schools with internet access
- Kerala – 87.4 percent
- Gujarat – 70.76 percent
- Punjab – 48.96 percent
Only two states had internet access in more than half the schools.
States with the lowest percentage of schools with internet access
- Tripura – 3.85 percent
- Meghalaya – 3.88 percent
- Assam – 5.82 percent
Availability of functional computer facility
Percentage of schools with the availability of functional computer facility in
- 2019-20 – 37.13 percent
Percentage of schools with the availability of functional computer facility by management
- Government – 28.6 percent
- Government-aided – 61.2 percent
- Private – 58.5 percent
- Others – 28.9 percent
States with the highest percentage of schools with functional computer facility
- Kerala – 92.44 percent
- Chhattisgarh – 83 percent
- Tamil Nadu – 76.55 percent
States with the lowest percentage of schools with functional computer facility
- Assam – 12.7 percent
- Madhya Pradesh – 13.28 percent
- Meghalaya – 13.27 percent
Availability of computer facility
Percentage of schools with the availability of computer facility in
- 2019-20 – 38.5 percent
- 2018-19 – 34.5 percent
- 2012-12 – 22.2 percent
Percentage of schools with the availability of computer facility by management
- Government – 30 percent
- Government-aided – 63 percent
- Private – 59.9 percent
- Others – 30 percent
States with the highest percentage of schools with computer facility
- Kerala – 93.41 percent
- Chhattisgarh – 85.34 percent
- Tamil Nadu – 78.06 percent
States with the lowest percentage of schools with computer facility
- Madhya Pradesh – 13.59 percent
- Meghalaya – 13.63 percent
- West Bengal – 13.87 percent
Also Read
- UN Internet Governance Forum: ‘Pandemic Fuelling Digital Economies, But Also Increasing Digital Divides’
- Bridging India’s Digital Divide During COVID-19 Requires A Comprehensive Strategy: Part 1 — By Apar Gupta And Sidharth Deb
- Bridging India’s Digital Divide During COVID-19 Requires A Comprehensive Strategy: Part 2 — By Apar Gupta And Sidharth Deb
