By Manoj Kumar

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India’s closures of schools and the lack of internet access for its children in the COVID-19 epidemic have increased a divide within education, according to the U.N. Cultural agency. This has raised concerns about the future prospects of young people.

According to UNESCO, school closings affected 248 million students since March 2013, according to a report. However, many Indian states are beginning ease restrictions as the number of infections has decreased and vaccines have increased in recent months.

Nearly 70% lack smartphones and other internet devices, with the majority unable to log in or access their classes online.

In its Tuesday report, the Indian Education Agency stated that “there is an urgent need for a plan to get students (and their teachers) back to school.”

According to government data, almost 40% of parents cannot afford Internet costs. This affects learning and widens the gap between the different sections of society.

The agency stated that widespread economic distress, job loss, and people fleeing to the countryside for better opportunities have led families to poverty. This has made it harder for their children to survive, including malnutrition, early marriages, and other problems.

Private schools, which receive no grants from the government, were worst-hit, because many families with poor children aspiring to a higher education sent their children there. Parents found it difficult to pay for fees due reduced economic activity.

India suffered an economic contraction of 7.3% annually in the last fiscal year ending March 2021. This was the largest recession in India since Independence from the colonial British rulers in 1947.

Private schools that employ almost 30% of India’s 9,7 million students faced salary cuts or job loss. Many of these teachers were also forced to retrain or transfer their students to schools funded by the government.

UNESCO urged India to recognize teachers as frontline workers in fighting the pandemic and to improve their working conditions to guarantee better education outcomes.

According to it, “Quality education will be the central challenge in the coming decade.”