Learning during Pandemic Glued to The Screen- The Ground Reality
It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday. We are rushing our 4-year-old to get ready. Her school reopens today after summer vacation. But wait, she doesn’t have to run for the bus stop with the uniform & school bag. It’s 2020, the Pandemic year. She just has to sit in front of the laptop, and her school will reach her study room with a click of a button.
The sudden & unexpected pandemic confined us inside our homes. As with many other aspects of our lives, virtual learning replaced classroom learning. It’s a technological revolution which made it possible for the students to stay connected with their studies, at least, to some extent. However, the truth is not so encouraging for all children. Infrastructure is not up to the mark in many countries for every child to access virtual education; neither is it affordable to all. As a result, the education system worldwide suffered a major setback with a far-reaching effect on the future of the growing generation.
A year and a half passed since our children started attending virtual schools, and we don’t see an end to this soon. Internet appeared as a savior in this unprecedented situation and had an immensely positive impact on the world education system. Smartphones & laptops became new books & notebooks for the children and promised equality in learning for students living in every nook and corner of the world. With the technological support and considerable effort by teachers & parents alike, students continued learning, though virtual learning is incomparable with in-person learning in terms of quality.
However, this scenario does not hold for every student in every country. Given the suddenness of the pandemic, governments in several countries struggled with the necessary infrastructure support on time, resulting in the complete closure of studies for children living in far-off places or interior villages. The pandemic made it apparent how ill-prepared we had been and how much we lacked foresightedness while dealing with a crisis. As a result, a whopping 90% of school-going children worldwide suffered irreparable losses in their studies, as per the reports of UNESCO. The ill effects on their physical & mental wellbeing added to the adversities.
Affordability of the new system was the second most significant issue that came to the fore. Even if the schools or the governments arranged for some basic infrastructure, many lower-income families could not afford the internet or the devices to access that. Many families have only one devise that has to be used for the schooling of all the children, and also by the parents to work from home.
According to the UN, one out of every five children was out of school during pre-Covid times. Covid-induced disruption in education made the situation even direr, especially for the socio-economically vulnerable children. With the Covid-induced impact on livelihood, education has been considered a privilege by many households. Instead, their children deemed it necessary to contribute to the earning activities, and chances of their return to school are thin.
Gender inequality also plays a significant role in the possibility of continuing education. In countries like India, where many families don’t consider girls’ education as important, even in the twenty-first century, there’s little probability of the dropout girls returning to studies after the Covid-induced break. Families that could afford only one device for e-learning, would reserve that for their boys rather than their girls. Girls also have to shoulder more household responsibilities in the absence of regular school visits, and it is unlikely for them to be able to come out of the trap easily.
Children with special education needs are some of the biggest sufferers. It is practically impossible for differently-abled children to access quality learning online without the physical presence of their teacher. The damage caused to their studies, as a result, is hard to compensate for.
It’s true that during the pandemic, we tried to save our lives and that of our children, even at the cost of their education. Now it’s time for us to act on the lessons we learned. Many barriers in education, as the lack of food, housing, resources, parental support, etc., were pre-existing. It is our failure to address them on time that aggravated the crisis during Covid situations. Post-pandemic, when the schools reopen, the governments have to concentrate on addressing these issues first along with developing infrastructures on priority to reach every child in the world. It is necessary to improve electric connectivity, internet access, devise accessibility & affordability, and digital training for teachers & students to ensure education for all by 2030. It is not enough for the governments to just open the schools or facilitate free education for all, they also need to educate parents so that they understand the need for education for their children. Because governments & schools can only support, but the parents are the anchors who can make the home environment more conducive towards their children’s education.
Our future generation has made a huge contribution in saving the world by sacrificing their education. Now, it’s our turn to return the children to the future they deserve as best as we can!
