Impact of Corona crisis / Covid-19 on education

History of the world is punctuated by pandemics—from very severe to less deadly. For centuries, they have left their indelible mark on human civilisation. Bubonic plague of the mid-fourteenth century reportedly took a toll of about 200 million lives worldwide. During the Spanish Flu of 1918-19, over fifty million people died worldwide.

Given this background, Novel Coronavirus has claimed half a million lives globally, so far. But there is a perceptible difference between the earlier pandemics and Covid-19. Social media plays a very significant role in our lives today than ever before. Netizens form their opinions every single day because internet has not only made faster communication possible but also brought it within the reach of ordinary people. Despite some lurking dangers, it’s wiser to focus on the important developments.  I will revert to this later.

Corona pandemic has affected millions of lives across the globe. There is not a single area that is not affected—commerce, business, transport, aviation. But the area that has been most severely impacted is probably education. In March2020, for the first time in history, schools and colleges all over the world were closed down, leaving millions of students without formal access to learning. This is because the first priority during a pandemic is to prevent spread of infection. Teachers, students, in fact, everyone associated with education has been asking a sterile question, “How long is lockdown to continue”? As no clear answer is available, experiments have begun. Countries like Finland and Denmark have started opening schools in a calibrated manner, from April, 2020, weighing the basic right of children to education. In India, some schools tried online classes but did not find it sustainable over a long period of time. Many discontinued as a result. In all fairness, not all schools have the capacity to provide quality education remotely. But this underscored one important point—-this is the point I wanted to revert to—that the future of education lies in online classes, thanks to internet. It, however, doesn’t mean that offline classes have lost their relevance. Not in the least. Personal care, attention and interest are, beyond doubt, the hallmark of any teaching unit or group.

The impact of school closures on student learning will vary because of the socioeconomic status. The learning gap between high- and low-income families, communities and groups will widen in absence of any corrective measures.

The pandemic has significantly disrupted the higher education sector as well, which is a critical determinant of a country’s economic future. A large number of Indian students enroll in Universities abroad especially in countries worst affected by the pandemic like the US, UK, Australia and China. Many such students have now been barred from leaving these countries. If the situation persists, in the long run, a decline in the demand for international higher education is expected. Recent graduates in India are fearing withdrawal of job offers from corporates because of the current situation.