covid-19 pandemic First and foremost there is a health crisis. Many countries have decided to close schools, colleges and universities. Policy makers are faced with the dilemma between closing schools to mitigate the crisis and saving lives or keeping them open. However, now all educational institutions in India have been closed. As a result, learners ranging from school going children to postgraduate students are affected.
As discussed above, all major entrance exams including engineering, medical, law, agriculture, fashion and designing courses are postponed. This situation may be alarm bells ringing mainly in private sector universities. May be some faculties and staff may face pay cut, bonus and salary hike may also be deferred.
UNESCO estimates that around 320 million students are affected in India, including schools and colleges.
Hence, the government has come up with the e-learning program. Many schools and colleges conduct their classes online. Nevertheless, Covid-19 has prompted experts to rethink the traditional way of education. Digital education seems to be a viable solution while minimizing the chances of any infection to the students till the classroom resumes. However, digital learning is not without its limitations and challenges, as face-to-face interaction is generally considered the best form of communication.
In the case of India, we have digital education There is still a long way to go before it can be seen as mainstream education, as students living in urban area have the facility to opt for digital education, however, students from rural area do not have the necessary infrastructure Nor are they financially strong enough to take advantage of the resources needed for digital education. Even as the digital infrastructure is in place, teachers have to be trained to use the digital system to provide proper, seamless education to students.
Furthermore, the lack of an environment for the study of e-learning is likely to result in a higher decline rate. Students may be distracted by gaming consoles, social media at home and may not feel a sense of community when taking online classes. Successful delivery of education is also under question as learning at higher education level and learning at kindergarten/school level can be different. Digital education cannot be implemented at every level of education.
Technology can play an important role in the lockdown period like study from home and work from home. In India, some private schools may adopt online learning methods. Low-income private and government schools may not be able to adopt online learning methods. And as a result, there will be a complete shutdown due to lack of access to e-learning solutions. In addition to learning opportunities, students will also miss their meals and this may result in economic and social stress.
Another major concern is employment. Students who have completed their graduation may feel like withdrawing job offers from the corporate sector due to the current situation in their mind. The unemployment deficit of the Indian economy was estimated at 23% by mid-March from 8.4% in mid-March.
There is a catastrophic loss because of the postponement of the exam. The exam cannot be conducted online. The global lockdown of educational institutions is going to cause major (and disproportionate) disruptions to student learning; Interruptions in internal assessments; and cancellation of public assessments for merit or their replacement by an inferior substitute. The lockdown has created uncertainty over the exam cycle. Universities may face impact in terms of reduction in student internships and placements, lower fee collections which can create hurdles in the management of working capital.
What can be done to reduce these negative effects? Schools have to make up for the loss in learning.
Since learning is a continuous and ever-evolving process through the use of technology, we can reduce and compensate for the damage caused by the extension and inconvenience to the education system and learners due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Possible alternatives or solutions for disrupted education during this pandemic are power supply, digital skills of teachers and students, digital learning for those students with the help of internet connectivity, high and low technology solutions etc. to be explored, from whom they are coming. Low-income groups or the presence of a disability, etc., may include distance learning programs.
To provide support for digitization to teachers and students.
Through the use of technology, we can provide a strong alternative to the traditional education system.
We cannot ignore that there is a need for effective educational practice for capacity building of young minds in this time of crisis. The central government and the state need to take some measures to ensure overall progress in the country.
