QUALITY EDUCATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

  

QUALITY EDUCATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Education teaches us about our society and environment, as well as how to change them for the better. Education also assists us in developing our own perspective on our lives, preparing us to have our own points of view and form our own opinions on various aspects of life. Today's education is not merely a means of acquiring knowledge. Nowadays, anyone with a computer and an internet connection may have access to vast amounts of data and information via various websites and e-commerce platforms. But, without education, can information be translated into knowledge? Only education can teach us how to perceive various challenges and occurrences in our life. We can learn not just from our textbooks, but also from our instructors, gurus, and mentors who teach us how to read such texts and distinguish the Vishalyakarani from the Gandhamadan mountains. We learn from our own lives as well, via practical experiences and hands-on instruction. In summary, education enables us to gain the information, skills, values, and attitudes we need to make informed decisions, live meaningful lives, and play active roles in modern society.

 

We have been dealing with a massive issue since the beginning of 2020. The COVID-19 epidemic has wreaked devastation throughout the world. When millions of young people are persuaded to stay at home with their families and educational facilities remain closed, online education looks to be the only option for ensuring these students' educational continuation. However, the issue remains as to whether we were willing to use these other methods of providing education in our nation without compromising the quality of education provided to our kids. The short answer is no, we were not. Many students in our schools, colleges, and institutions continue to be unable to access conventional online education because they have limited or no access to computers and internet connectivity at home. We still don't know how many students have access to broadband internet, 4G cellphones, tablets, laptops or desktop PCs, and other essential technology for online lectures. It has also been observed that many families have only one 4G smartphone at home, which must be shared by the earning members of the family who are striving to continue with their limited livelihood options and to 'work from home,' if feasible. The youngsters at home, of varied ages, are left vying for the family's lone gadget. After all, the families are under a lot of stress. Jobs are being lost, and wages are being reduced.

 

What is there to be done?

Given the circumstances, let us shift our focus away from these grim prospects and onto what has to be done as soon as possible. To begin, we must acknowledge that face-to-face interactions between instructors and students, as well as robust and healthy discussions among peers both inside and outside the classroom, are essential to great education, as envisioned by the SDGs. Online education may supplement but not replace this mode of learning. Empathy, attentiveness, cooperation and negotiation, critical and creative thinking, growing knowledge of many views, and building respect for individuals who are different are all difficult to instill in kids without face-to-face classroom instruction. Second, having stated that, we must recognize that when classroom learning is not feasible for whatever reason — be it a pandemic or any other unexpected cause – online education may be a viable option if the following conditions are met:

i. Adequate public financial resources are dedicated for providing access to online educational facilities, particularly for pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, in order to bridge the digital gap.

ii. The necessary arrangements are made for reliable internet infrastructure throughout the country for excellent online learning, as well as the availability of older broadcast mediums such as radio and television for curriculum delivery.  

iii. Educational institutions, not only in major cities, but also in smaller towns, rural and distant places, are outfitted with cutting-edge ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure to provide excellent online education.

iv. Teachers have received adequate training to provide online lessons utilizing various digital platforms.

v. The necessary arrangements are made to provide classes in India's vernacular languages on digital platforms.

vi. Appropriate procedures for measuring the quality of learners are established and made available to both students and teachers.

vii. Adequate plans are in place to provide online education to students with disabilities.

Fulfilling the three fundamental requirements will enable India to become one of the major future education centres in the Global South, as well as convert the country's demographic dividend into valuable human resources by imparting sophisticated skills to compete in the globe in the twenty-first century. The COVID-19 epidemic is putting us to the test. However, it also provides us with an opportunity to use this crisis as a motivator to achieve our goal of providing quality education to all.