Only 2 Out Of 10 Schools In India Have Internet Access: Report

According to UDISE's 2019-20 report, out of 15 lakh schools across the country, only 5.5 lakh schools (37%) have computers and 3.3 lakh (22%) have internet access.

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Successive governments have emphasized the digital transformation of schools for almost a decade, but it is surprising that on average only 2 out of 10 schools in India have internet facility and 4 out of 10 schools have functional computers. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report 2019-20, only 5.5 lakh schools (37%) have computers and 3.3 lakh (22%) have internet access out of 15 lakh schools across the country.

The digital gap in government and in private schools is huge

When the data of private and government schools were looked at, the digital gap became clear. Significantly, almost every private school (50%) has an internet facility while only one in 10 (11%) government schools have an internet facility. However, government schools have performed slightly better in procuring computers.

Government should invest in digital technology in schools

School infrastructure is not the only means for students to access the Internet. According to industry reports, there were more than 500 million smartphones in India in 2020, and more than 77 crore internet connections. At the same time, experts say that it is important for the government to invest in digital technology in schools.

School teachers should also be given internet access

It is worth noting that Prof S Sadagopan, former director of IIIT-B also says that "the government should invest in internet facilities in the school and it should not end with just providing laptops to the students. Like the national program of connecting colleges to the internet, teachers should also get internet facilities.

Internet and computer system in schools of Kerala and Gujarat

Among the larger states (which have more than 15,000 schools), Kerala and Gujarat perform best, followed by Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. On the other hand, less than 40% of the schools in Maharashtra and Karnataka have internet access, and could not make it to the top 5. Karnataka ranks seventh in schools with less than 50% computers.