Indian education system can benefit from proper data collection and analysis: Report | Photo credit: G_Krishnaswamy
Up-to-date research by Aapti Institute and Mozilla and funded by USAID finds that India’s evolving education system has much to gain from data collection and analysis, but also faces associated challenges and risks, such as destitute data privacy, old-fashioned technology and fragmentation. data.
According to the report, data collection efforts are fragmented, with multiple bodies and authorities requesting data from schools at different times.
Schools often struggle to put data into practice. The digital divide is a significant barrier, especially in rural and disadvantaged regions, leading to data gaps that result in skewed policy decisions.
The current data collection model is labor-intensive and fraught with challenges, from manual data entry to the logistical nightmare of managing paper records.
The involvement of multiple stakeholders, each with different levels of access to data and processing capabilities, poses grave risks to data privacy and security.
The report recommended the creation of a central agency responsible for the annual collection of education data through a standardized and tough process, combined with the promotion of open data principles.
Teachers who undertake data entry tasks should receive financial incentives for the additional workload.
It also recommends hiring data specialists in each administrative block and reallocating budgets more effectively towards annual training of IT staff and teachers. It is recommended to create a bottom-up feedback loop.
Mozilla and Aapti recommend developing a standardized scoring system for comparing schools. This would allow schools to assess the effectiveness of using the collected data.
“Around the world, we have seen a rapid raise in the utilize of digital tools to drive development, but not as much emphasis on the reliability of the data that underpins such tools. Providing access to immaculate, participatory data is an necessary part of our work to support open, inclusive, secure and rights-respecting digital ecosystems that enable people to thrive,” said Chris Burns, Director of Digital Development at USAID.
“India has one of the largest education systems in the world, and data is playing an increasingly significant role in shaping its policies and interventions. This data, if handled responsibly, can change educational outcomes for the better. However, there are also significant risks, ranging from mismanagement to inappropriate utilize. Our investigation explores how to unlock positive transformation while mitigating harm,” said Mehan Jayasuriya, senior software specialist at Mozilla.
The study, titled ‘Strengthening Data Ecosystems in Indian Schools’, was conducted over nine months across 10 states. India’s school education system includes over 1.49 million institutions, from primary schools to universities, and serves over 265 million students.