Doubts raised by experts over government's push to set up 200 TV channels for Classes 1-12

Experts are questioning the central government's push to set up 200 channels for Classes 1- 12.

Experts who were advocating for school reopening questioned the central government's decision to put up TV channels to provide extra education for pupils in Classes 1 to 12 while claiming that it would not compensate for the learning loss suffered by the epidemic.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged while presenting the Union Budget 2022-23, that due to the closure of schools caused due to the pandemic, children, especially in the rural areas, and those from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections, have lost approximately two years of formal education.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a digital university based on a "hub-and-spoke" model and the extension of the "one class, one TV channel" scheme to 200 channels to provide additional teaching in regional languages in schools in her budget statement on Tuesday.

Epidemiologist and Public Policy Specialist Chandrakant Lahariya, who has been vocal against long-term school closures, took to Twitter and said "Learning loss of two years to be compensated by setting up TV channels, really????? It shows that we are not serious about the loss of learning of our children.

"Open schools and get children back for in-person learning. Invest in school education," he added.

Whereas, Yamini Aiyar, the president of the Centre for Policy Research wrote on Twitter, "Kudos to the Finance Minister for recognising loss from two years of school closure but really one class-one TV, e-content is NOT the answer. Opening schools in the and (sic). Are we so blind to realities on the ground?"

Chairperson of KIIT International School, Mona Lisa Bal, called the Union Budget 2020 a hit-and-miss for the education sector.