One Third Of The Students In Tamil Nadu Do Not Have Access To Smartphones

According to the 2021 Annual Status of Education Report, one out of every three pupils in rural Tamil Nadu does not have access to a smartphone at home (ASER). Despite the fact that smartphone ownership in the state climbed from 40% in 2018 to 66.1 percent in 2021, it remained the lowest within the southern states.

Only 26.8% of those using smartphones in Tamil Nadu stated they had accessibility to their phones at all times for studies, whereas 13.7 percent indicated they couldn't. The additional pupils admitted to using their phones for class purposes on occasion.

Throughout the survey, that was based through phone showed within the month of September-October, ASER 2021 that 5,122 rural households in all Tamil Nadu districts save Chennai, as well as 3,923 children aged 5 to 16.

In comparison to 2018, the percentage of children enrolled in government schools climbed by roughly 10% to 76.3 percent in 2021, according to the poll. Numerous parents switched their children from private to public schools this year as a result of the pandemic-induced economic difficulties and employment losses.

The number of students aged 6 to 14 who are not enrolled in school has decreased from 6.2 percent in 2020 to 1.3 percent in 2021. After the state's schools reopened, the percentage of children receiving home help dropped from 68 percent while the lockdown to 56 percent following the state's schools reopened. Tuition-paying students climbed slightly from 14 percent in 2018 to 17 percent in 2021. While, prior to the pandemic, students' strength in government schools was lower. Due of the increased enrollment, government schools may require additional classrooms and teachers.

However, just 23% of pupils in government schools used the internet for learning purposes, this number was nearly doubled within private school students, at 42%.