PANDEMIC AND THE NEW LEARNING
In the pre Covid-19 pandemic period, when students had to write essays on subjects like ‘If there were no schools’ or ‘If there were no exams’, they would excitedly write what fun it would be to not have to go to school on a daily basis, or to not have to appear for exams every two months in an academic year. In 2020, it became a reality. For the entire academic year of 2020-2021, schools remained shut, although in some parts of the country, they opened for some classes, for some time.
From primary and secondary to higher secondary and university students, everyone had to adapt to the new normal of learning from and studying at home, with the help of technology. What’s more, even the teachers had to discard the traditional methods of imparting education and get acquainted with newer technologies. In that sense, the educational institutes were shut, but learning continued.
With the second wave hitting India even more harshly and the predictions about the third and consequent waves of the infection doing the rounds, there is a lot of uncertainty over the future of Indian education. But we can’t forever remain in this abyss of uncertainty. The policy makers in the government, the educational institutions and the students along with their parents, will have to work together to get through the maze that circumstances have thrown us into.
As for the government, it will have to study the solutions that other countries are exploring, consider the practicality of implementing the same in our country, rope in top notch educationists and ask them to come up with ideas to resume the educational activity, without putting anyone at health risk. Though online education has become the obvious option, there are issues of connectivity and affordability regarding smart devices, which the government will have to fix at the earliest.
The educational institutions, including the people running them, the teaching and support staff, will have to work hand in hand with the government. They will have to continue with a few traditional methods that have proved to be useful and crucial so far, while also adopting new technology-based ways. They will have to redesign syllabi, teaching modules and assessment and evaluation procedures. They will also have to involve the students and the parents in this process so that it becomes a really concerted effort.
As for the students, for whom the entire educational system works, they have to understand that life is not limited to the ‘no school, no exams’ fun. They have to get their focus back on learning and cooperate with the educators and the government. Ultimately, without learning, they cannot get anywhere in life, when the pandemic has become a history and they are faced with the realities of life. Parents too have a great responsibility in monitoring their wards’ activities and not let them go astray.
The bottom line is that the pandemic will last a few years but the education and learning will last a lifetime, so it’s necessary to focus on the latter.
Vrunda Juwale