Issues and Challenges of Online Education During the Pandemic: Some Lessons from Government Schools of India

The closure of all types of educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities in India continued for more than one year due to the crisis caused by COVID-19. Hence, the Government of India issued guidelines to all the states, including Telangana, to start online classes. Though the application and usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian education system is nascent, there is a huge demand for various electronic devices during the pandemic. The researcher adopted convenient sampling and conducted telephonic interviews with 50 teachers from all the state districts. The study concludes that online education in government schools’ results in a digital divide that impedes the learning process among students.