Extracto

Travelling around India shows the contrast between rural and urban India. Educational inequalities between rural and urban India are also significant. Net Attendance Ratio at the primary level does not demonstrate a significant difference between rural and urban schooling, but at secondary and higher secondary levels, anyone can notice the difference. Lower upper-level enrollment leads to early dropout or discontinuation. Lack of interest in education is one of the main reasons for discontinuation. To this end, ICT can be a major solution to reduce the percentage of non-interest students. Information and communication technology (ICT) in the form of Digital Education can improve rural education and student interest. The present study will deal with the use of ICT for academic and non-academic purposes with major constraints of ICT use in rural schools. The studywas conducted with secondary and higher secondary schools with ICT facilities in Burdwan District (Undivided) of West Bengal. Students, ICT teachers, and institution heads were interviewed using open and closed-ended questions. The study found many opportunities for ICT access with existing resources if it is properly used and utilized. Limited ICT resources, Poor internet connectivity, and a lack of skilled teachers are a few bottlenecks hindering the smooth implementation of ICT in rural schools.