Rajasthan’s Educationist Sachin Mathur Explains How Coronavirus Pandemic Has Affected the Education System

Sachin Mathur, professional turned Educationist from Rajasthan, India has expressed his genuine concerns over effects of COVID-19 pandemic on worldwide educational system which has now led to near total closure of schools, colleges & universities. Even UNESCO is now actively supporting countries in their efforts to mitigate the immediate impact of school closures, particularly for more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, and to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning.

Talking about overall impact of COVID-19, Sachin Mathur says that it has not only affected the public health negatively but also has devastating impact on global economics, politics, geopolitics, environment, religion and education.

With complete lockdown measures school, colleges, and Universities are on shut and over billions of students are unable to go to school or colleges worldwide. As per the report of UNESCO, 138 nations have implemented nationwide closures of their schools and universities, nearly 1.3 billion learners (enrolled at pre-primary, primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary levels of education as well as at tertiary level) across the globe are unable to attend school or university. Policymakers are facing the dilemma between closing and opening these educational institutions, as the closure is required to save lives and operation is required to ensure the continuous learning and allowing the workers to work.

Closure of school and colleges has not only impacted students, teachers, parents and educational organizations, but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences including student debt, digital learning, food insecurity, and homelessness, as well as access to childcare, health care, housing, internet, and disability services. The impact was more severe for disadvantaged children and their families, causing interrupted learning, compromised nutrition, childcare problems, and consequent economic cost to families who could not work.

Sachin Mathur added that the semester examinations have been postponed and Ministry of Human Resource Development have suggested many alternatives to these examinations but in country like India where student population is high, maintaining social distancing during examinations and then in routine classes seems to be an impossible task.

Sachin Mathur also shared that the human resource development ministry believes that the online learning is reformative and helps in school and college teacher training as same time he quotes Mark Edmundson, an English professor, University of Virginia said that online learning creates a “monologue and not a real dialogue”. In online education, building relationship with instructor and class peers necessitate more efforts.

Beside that there are several challenges which is faced in online teaching which includes Cyber-attacks, Framing clear government policies, Reaching out in rural parts, reaching differently disabled students, establishment of digital infrastructure, training teachers for digital education, lack of efficient communication by teacher and taught, less accountability, requirement of self-discipline and self-direction by students, extended screen time, problem faced by marginalized and underprivileged learners, challenges for learners with limited language skills, online learning promotes correspondence education and lacks practical based learning which is required in science, engineering, medical etc, overdependence on technology, high dropout rates, lack of essential online qualities as this method is new to all, less brain storming as its more of monologue, says Sachin Mathur.