Lockdowns and learning curve: Digital access doubled, but outcomes uneven

Last week, Maharashtra announced a decision to open schools. But Maha­rashtra is something of an exception; not all states have decided to restart schools. Delhi, for example, has had schools under lockdown for the most prolonged period, as the National Capital Region also had to discontinue classes owing to pollution.

With schools having been closed for long periods, learning has inevitably taken a hit. In most states, dropout rates have increased, and more children have shifted to government schools, which historically had lower learning rates than private institutions.

But one noteworthy point is that digital access has also improved since before the