[The Coop] Access First, Learning Later: A Plan for Inclusive Remote Learning
So now the locusts are here…
and we hope that you are holding strong and keeping the faith. We know that you have done your bit in these times. You live, you give, you share your warmth & your trust. Thank you for that and Welcome to the eighth edition of The Coop.
This week we take a look at remote learning. With the lockdown, there has been delayed acknowledgement that largely Indian children are not ‘digital natives’, born into & comfortable with digital spaces & tech. Rather the majority are still ‘digital migrants’ who continue to adopt, adapt and migrate to these new technologies. So if Boards of Education decide to make a sudden switch to e-learning, it will be a decision as callous as the one meted out to India’s migrant population. One that potentiality condemns entire generations & communities into vulnerability.
So we read up the critiques, looked for alternatives and have attempted to piece together a forward-thinking framework for inclusive remote learning.
In other news, we spotlight the child rights crisis in the light of cyclone Amphan that struck India & Bangladesh. Followed by some very insightful pieces on parenting (& competitive parenting) under Covid-19 & finally- a striking new tool for queer advocacy.
Remote Learning
Every Child Online: A Framework for Inclusive Remote Learning
The ongoing pandemic & never-ending lockdowns may seem like singular incidents. But the future is fraught – experts are predicting likelihood of periodic breakouts of zoonotic pandemics and climate emergencies are already a regular feature. And through this chaos, the internet has proved to be a fairly resilient system. This should make a convincing case for envisioning, investing in and putting together systems and policies that make high quality remote education possible for all children.
It is not an easy list but the other way out is to start fixing climate change & environmental degradation. And that could use some work as well.
Cyclone Amphan
Atleast 19 million Children estimated to be at risk due to Cyclone Amphan
The strongest cyclone in decades made landfall in India & Bangladesh in the middle of the pandemic. Even as the scale of the destruction is being gauged, initial reports indicate that some communities will have to start from zero in terms of basic needs like a roof over their heads and livelihoods. And they are more vulnerable than ever to the larger forces around them, including Covid-19.
We appeal to you to donate to the people at Goonj who have not just been providing relief to the migrant workers but are now also working with the Cyclone affected. Click here to donate.
Parenting
Parents versus non-parents is the wrong productivity battle to fight
An incisive and heartfelt examination of all that is wrong with the guilt inducing conversations around parenting & productivity during the lockdown.
Also, data journalist Rukmini S did a two part-er on her daily podcast focused on crucial parental decisions regarding schooling & child-care in the time of Covid-19. Find them here and here.
The Pink List
The Pink List India started off as a collection of candidates contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections who publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights. Now it has been expanded to include India’s first archive of politicians supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. It is a uniquely striking, engaging and accessible advocacy platform. Do drop in and check out the state of the qunion aka The Pink Sabha.
Correction:
In the last edition, we missed out on adequately acknowledging the contribution of our partners UNICEF Maharashtra towards The 2nd Rapid Assessment Report. We sincerely apologize for the oversight and would like to issue a very special shout-out to Alpa Vora & Yamini Suvarna for all their contribution & constant support.
We couldn’t do it without them.
That’s it for this Week. See You In the Next!
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