Education Crisis during pandemic period

 Education crisis during pandemic period

        Education is the most powerful tool which makes people to become better, well informed citizens. According to United Nations, the COVID-19 Pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in the history of human civilization, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries and all continents. The closure of schools and other learning systems caused by the catastrophic wide spread disease has impacted 94 percent of the world's student population, up to 99 percent in low and lower middle income countries.

        The educational disruption has disastrous implication on all the sections of Human Capital Development, which includes, primary, secondary, Higher education, Vocational training, Teachers training, Skill development and pedagogical methods. Along with above mentioned implications , this crisis has large scale impact on Emotional, Psychological and Socio-economic conditions of all the stakeholders in the society, be it students, teachers, and parents etc.

        In this essay we are going to discuss impacts of the crisis in the education system with respect to students, teachers and societal perspective, along with required adaptations for the future shocks to avoid discontinuity and build resilient system which ensures democratisation of education with the focus on equality and equity in the field of education.

Education in Emergency : Continuity in Dark times 

        Before the pandemic, the world was already facing the challenges in fulfilling the promise of education as a basic human right. The world is also struggling to enhance enrolment ratio, improve learning capabilities and enhance the financial resource mobilisation for education to achieve the targets mentioned in the Sustainable Development Goal 4 quality education.

        Lockdown and social distancing measures due to Covid-19 pandemic have led to the closure of all the types of learning institutions in the most countries, threatening very basic human right i.e Education. But this crisis has stimulated innovation within the education sector, to maintain continuity and to avoid the disruption in the process of education.

        In this crisis we witnessed, paradigm shift in the way educators deliver quality education- through various distant learning solutions like online platforms supported by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). For a short term, this online learning have become panacea to keep learning continuity in the times of Pandemic despite the challenges posed to both educators and the learners.

        Transitioning from traditional classroom personal interactive learning to online learning can be entirely different experience for the learners and the educators. The educators and students have adopted "Education in Emergency" through various online platforms and are compelled to adopt a system that they are not prepared for.

        In general e-learning tools have played a crucial role during this pandemic, helping schools and universities facilitate student learning during the closure of learning institutions.

Challenges : Learning and Teaching in the times of Pandemic

        Adaptation to the new form of learning and teaching through the distant learning tools is like a double edged sword. It posed many challenges and prospects during the pandemic. 

        The effectiveness of learning and teaching during pandemic through ICT supported distant leaning tools or e-learning platforms is dependent on accessibility, affordability and flexibility.

        Accessibility and affordability is based on the concept of whether all the stakeholders can avail the services like Internet, Electricity, Tools/Gadgets required for the online e-learning platforms such as smartphones, computers etc.

        Flexibility is based on the concept of adaptation of mindset to the changing form of system of e-learning and teaching. Though the governments and Institutions are being maintained the continuity in educational process, though unconventional online, ICT based platforms but still this is not complete with respect to students and teaches perspective.

        With respect to students perspective- the schools and educators are not just physical infrastructure and knowledge imparters respectively, but they support and help students to grow emotionally, psychologically and they ignite the minds of students. Overall they help to develop personality and character of the students, which are lacking in the environment of e-learning and distant learning platforms.

        In e-learning systems the houses have become classrooms and the gadgets are their peers which leads to missing out of proper classroom environment, leading to the lack of interactions with teachers and peers. This posing threat to the emotional and psychological health of the students, leading to the poor learning outcomes.

        Secondly, coping up with digital divide across the regions, languages and gender based disparities, many tribal and hill areas may lack infrastructure required for E-learning. Recently UNICEF reported that almost 100 million students facing the problem in learning due to closure of Institutions and lack of Infrastructure availability.

        Thirdly, and most Important is physical health aspect of the students. Due to prolonged exposure to the gadgets instead physical world a new set of health crisis may arise in the society.

        Fourthly, The lack of performance monitoring of the students by all stakeholders may hamper the learning outcomes of the students.

        With respect to teachers perspective- it poses different kinds of challenges. Such as, availability of gadgets, Methods of teaching, and skill sets to use Hardware/Software for the new and unconventional method of teaching. In Teaching "One size fit for all" will not work, as different subjects require different skill sets, platform and methods to teach. The new platforms may not provide required environment.

        Secondly, the use of suitable and relevant pedagogy for online education may depend on the expertise and exposure to ICT for educators.

        Having discussed some of the challenges in the process of education let us discuss some of the ripple effects beyond education. Schools and community based organisations not only provide education, they provide critical socio-emotional support, safety of adult supervision and protecting students beyond school day.

        Closure of educational institutions is hampering the nutritional availability through school meals and provision of health services by community health checkups. Closures have also affected the ability of many parents to work. This creating inability to afford an access education, leading to learning poverty and increase in the dropout rate from the schools, specially girls due to gender disparity. Closures leads to increased risk for women and girls, as they are more vulnerable to multiple types of domestic violence, early and forced marriages. 

        The above mentioned challenges have widespread impact on the Human Capital Development of the world. Though the new systems of teaching and learning during pandemic posed many challenges, still it helped to maintain the continuity in the process of learning.

Silver Lining in the Dark times :

         Though in short term we as a society faced have faced many challenges due to uncertainties caused by the pandemic in education sector, but the innovation and transformation in imparting education through distant learning tools may democratize the system of education in long run.

        The developing and least developed countries Tribal, remote and hill areas are suffering from poor Infrastructure like classroom, school buildings, proper study materials, Lack of ICT tools, poor students to teachers ratio. In such scenario distant learning tools like satellite communication and E-learning platforms play a very crucial roles in using limited resources efficiently to impart education and across the regions and communities.

        The high penetration of Digital and Internet technology, coupled with improved financial conditions of the households can bring revolution in the field of online education system in the world. The more participation of the people in transformative learning process, the system will become more equitable and inclusive.

        To make system more resilient to the future shocks or threats, government and civil society organisations must focus on capacity building , by infusing new training methodologies for all the stake holders. 

        To conclude, Education is not only a fundamental rights, it is enabling right with direct impact on the fulfilment of all other human rights.It is global common good and a primary driver of progress across all 17 sustainable development goals as a bedrock of just, equal and inclusive societies. When education system collapse, prosperous and productive societies cannot be sustained.

        There is unlimited, untapped resources we can count on for productive and transformed systems. It is the responsibility of the governments, International communities and civil society organisations to bring reforms to build the resilient systems so that children and youth regain their promised future.