A matter of weeks
The COVID 19 pandemic has quickly seeped into our lives and left its mark on all daily activities. It barely needed a couple of days to change the way we did things completely. Education is one sector that underwent drastic changes as a result of the pandemic. After almost every country in the world initiated large scale lockdowns, students and teachers had to change their entire model of education. At the beginning of March 2020, alerts sounded on the developing spread of the COVID-19 infection. At that point, just China and a small bunch of schools in other nations were upholding social distancing by ending school procedures.
By the middle of March, 120 nations had shut down schools around the globe. This affected around a billion children who were about to witness the most extended holidays of their lives. In the beginning stages, circumstances were higher, particularly in the most intensely affected nations such as China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. However, as the virus spread rapidly in more countries day by day, almost all countries adopted the online learning method. These progressions have entirely caused a level of burden, but also incited new models of development in education.
Though the school kids could use the breaks, more serious academic courses could not afford such a long gap. Therefore, the modification from in-class learning to online learning became a quick process in a matter of weeks. Schools, universities and colleges had demanded for quite a long time that web-based learning was not for them. With the COVID pandemic, out of nowhere, schools had no option but to adopt a quick change. In less than a month, the idea that faced a stiff resistance unexpectedly became relevant and even necessary.
The need for revolution
Education is a realm that has restricted or rather did not require modification and change for several centuries. The conventional models of college and school that we see today have been practically the same since the beginning of civilisation. Like all the other sectors, education too could use a bit of improvement and revolution. This much-needed change came about when the countries adopted strict measures against the pandemic. The termination of school procedures appeared to introduce a suitable solution for implementing social distancing in smaller populations. Such strategies forced schools and colleges to adopt the online mode of teaching quickly.
Schools immediately understood that the sudden interruption in their programs could have drastic and long-lasting effects. China is one nation where the education system proceeded with paying little heed to class terminations. It continued easily through web and distance learning. In February, many schools in Hong Kong began to teach from home by means of creative applications. In China, 120 million Chinese gain admittance to learning material through live transmissions.
Countries all over the world adopted similar arrangements for schooling. A school in Nigeria quickly reaped the maximum benefits out of the standard web-based learning devices like Google Classroom. They used live video instructions to carry on with the lessons. Likewise, understudies at one school in Lebanon started utilising internet learning. Even subjects like physical instruction became useful and enjoyable through online learning. The children shot and sent over their home video recordings of athletic practice and sports to their instructors as schoolwork. Furthermore, this pushed them to learn new technical skills.
The undesirable effects
The change in the mode of education has adverse effects only on the underprivileged sections of society. The availability of internet connection varies among each family. Technological devices are not available to all children everywhere around the world. Many in the developing nations did not have access to high data transfer capacity web, or even to cell phones. They have less open doors for learning at home, and their break of school may introduce financial weights for the guardians. The families may confront difficulties finding delayed childcare, or even sufficient food without school dinners.
As school terminations extend beyond what we can predict, the opportunities for education also decrease. The other choices, like distance learning, stay far off for those without the necessary means for it. This may bring on additional misfortune in human capital and lessened financial chances. The educational institutions too have their share of challenges. They soon realised that they required the students more than the students wanted them. Even in the early months of online learning, college students all over the world started scrutinising the institutions. They began examining the integrity of their training and requesting a reduction in tuition fees.
The interruption brought about by the COVID illness exposed the way that institutions were not providing authenticity. On the other hand, teachers have put in a colossal measure of work to keep up the curriculum with the new method of learning. However, the disruption in regular fee structure will also have an adverse effect on their income. Even after the situation gets better, the school Guardians would prefer not to send their youngsters to class. Schools will not be able to afford such a long term halt in procedures.
The bright side
During an emergency, adaptive educational methods can uphold pandemic prevention protocols in no small extent. The young kids do not have to witness how their world has changed due to the privilege of learning from home. Furthermore, the schools can be transformed into emergency treatment centres during an emergency. All it needs is proper arranging, especially during the stages of adapting and healing. Moreover, online learning prompts them to cope and keep up some regularity during an emergency.
We can hope that the students will recover from this lapse rapidly and with some helpful new abilities. Without a doubt, they have acquired distance education abilities and more profound command over digital devices. Also, in some low-limit situations, quite across areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, schools are regularly the main perpetual government structures. In provincial towns, they can quickly take the role of an emergency crisis response centre. If used properly, the new method of teaching can be one of the few positive outcomes of the pandemic.
Nidhia Sebastian is an English literature graduate who looks forward to a career that complements her passion. Her never-ending love for language has brought her to creative writing. Having an open heart to knowledge is what leaves her with a thirst to explore the world. She believes in living life to the fullest and hopes to convey the same enthusiasm through her words.
