As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage all over the world, education is one of the most impacted areas. When the first lockdown ended we thought that normal school working would soon resume however this was not to be. Educational institutions continue online as of late March 2020. It seems as though schools and colleges will be the last to revert to normal working. Should educational institutions be reopened or not?
Objectively, online classes have a lot to recommend them: they save time and can save money and resources too. They make geographical limitations irrelevant so that anyone can attend classes from anywhere in the world, at least in theory. Flexible scheduling and comfortable learning environments are other reasons online classes recommend themselves.
Right now, we are witnessing significant spikes in the rate of infection. It is believed that the festive season, with crowded markets, with lots of people meeting each other and many having parties and get-togethers is a likely cause of this. Looking at this, many state governments – even those that had announced the reopening of schools earlier, have decided to keep these institutions shut.
Knowing this virus’s preference for crowded, enclosed spaces, many of us feel that we simply cannot afford to take a chance with the health of our kids. Then there is the fact that many infected individuals could be asymptomatic and unknowingly transfer the infection to others. Even if kids don’t get ill they could well pass the infection on to others at home; particularly older people. Hence many of us feel that starting in-person classes could be an invitation for more and more people getting infected.
The technology we have makes it possible to continue the process safely with kids and teachers secure in their respective homes. There is no need to commute or be in an enclosed space for hours. Kids can even submit their assignments online, submit books for checking and take online exams. So it’s not as if kids are sitting at home doing nothing, goes this argument.
Experts agree that there can be no real substitute for classroom learning. Elearning is an unsatisfactory and incomplete method of studying. Exams may be held online but they cannot accurately assess kids’ learning and ability to reproduce learned material. Children with special needs or learning disabilities suffer unduly in an online classroom setting.
Further, there is the apprehension that eLearning settings mean that kids are spending altogether too much time online. While this itself has its own fallouts, eLearning also means students experience loneliness and isolation. Experts warn about negative impacts on mental health and physical wellness as well.
In India, the challenges are many and myriad. A majority of students belong to families that do not have the resources to make sure kids can attend online classes. There may be inadequate devices, a poor net connection and more than one child dependent upon these. Physically attending schools is very important for kids from poor families who depend upon their kids benefiting from the midday meal scheme in school.
There is also the view that being indoors isn't going to help the child’s immunity. If the child doesn’t go out, get exercise and interact with others, the negative impacts of this seclusion could actually outweigh the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus. In any case, kids are likely to have milder infections. So what is the real risk of reopening schools, say those in favour of reopening. They also suggest putting social distancing and hygiene norms in place for safe reopening, which dramatically reduces the threat of transmission. With much of the academic year gone past, how long can this go on? And what about kids appearing for board exams, they ask?
So clearly, we are all divided about putting kids in a situation where they could get ill and pass the illness on to others. Some believe that school reopening is too dangerous while others feel that the fallouts of online learning outweigh the possible dangers of getting infected. Are hybrid classes possible? Perhaps we can have a classroom setting for those who wish to attend school, and these same classes can be attended online by children whose families don’t want them to attend physically. Maybe such hybrid classes will become reality soon; before we resume school and college education in full?
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