Reading Time: 7 minutes

Thank you, readers, for staying connected and following my blogs.

Let me start this one with a great quote.

I trust that everything happens for a reason, even if we are not wise enough to see it.”- Oprah Winfrey”

The quotation above proves true to every dimension of today’s chaotic and hectic lifestyle.

Listen to the podcast here!

For instance, the thought and the vision of alternative education, online education, and the digital payment method were once the town’s talk, but now it has become the need of the hour.

COVID-19 is a new matter of concern that has brought society to the verge of uncertainty; or in other words, it has opened loads of new venues to uplift our vision to go beyond the box.

Coronavirus has changed our day-to-day lives completely; it is something that we never expected.

In this article, I would like to talk about the impact of coronavirus on education and how it has changed almost everything.

I will try to explain my understanding with the help of a story.

Reading the complete article will clarify the value of strengthening our education system’s base structure.

Table of Contents

The Fiction

The Weak Structured Building – The Fiction

In former times existed a building at the city center. The building was the answer to all the essential issues of the city. Scholars used to sit in it and resolve issues.

The building had utter importance but was neglected at first. It had a weak structure, which was eroding steadily.

It was some years until people started paying it due attention.

They decided that the building should be renovated. The renovation started but half-heartedly. The material used was ordinary.

Click here to tweet this post. Click To Tweet

Be it various reasons, despite the improvement, the building was not up to the mark. It was not prepared to face unusual times.

It was one day that a sudden flood filled the city. The building was demolished.

It was a tough time. Now, the hard times require stringent measures. Let’s see how that goes.

The fictional example elaborates on the Condition of the Indian educational system.

Our education system was not significant in the first four decades of independence.

However, in the past few years, some improvements have been made.

While efforts were attempted, the weak intentions did not result in a strong base.

The hard time of the Pandemic has shaken our education system to the core. It requires innovative and efficient methods now.

“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” -Will Durant

Video Credit- PerfectLean TV Official

The Influence Of Covid-19 On The Education System

The Problem: Covid-19

Covid-19 is a virus that originated in China. The virus started to spread in Dec 2019.

It made a significant impact on the globe until Feb 2020. Various economies faced a severe crisis.

The spread of the virus made lockdown inevitable. Schools and all educational institutions were closed for an unknown period.

Click here to tweet this post. Click To Tweet

Months of lockdown brought drastic results for the education system and its recipients.

Institutions need to transform their methods of teaching. Education requires adequate strategy and efficient planning.

Education Before Covid-19

India came across major educational reforms during the last few decades.

The realization of education’s importance brought crucial improvements. Some of the major ones are labeled below.

Developing Educational Institutions:

During the last decade, Education has remained the top priority of Governments. Educational Institutions are revamped as per modern needs.

The policies brought were efficient in improving the Condition of institutions.

The following were the improvements in the last few years.

Laboratories for conducting Experiments were built. These laboratories were equipped with the best equipment. It helped to make the learning process enjoyable.

The infrastructure of Educational Buildings was improved. Ventilation, lighting, water, electricity, and Internet services were provided to schools all over the country.

The literacy rate increased globally. India alone increased its literacy rate to 74.37%. In 2011 India’s Literacy rate was 69.3%.

The dropout ratio also decreased in the last few years. With more funding, schools improved their condition.

As a result, parents were motivated to send their students to school. Kerala, the state in India, has a dropout rate of zero.

Introduction Of Technology -A Step Towards Future Learning

The last three decades resulted in improvements in our education system. However, the introduction of technology was a step just taken in the previous decade.

The building of digital classrooms was aimed to make the learning sessions interactive.

Technology also allowed students to gain practical knowledge of the subjects they study. It eased the jobs of teachers and enhanced the students’ learning experience.

The introduction of technology was a step to modernize the education system. The attempt did make a difference.

Parents started to look out for multimedia classrooms and provided them with significant heed.

According to a survey, 76% of parents were ready to pay increased fees to avail a multimedia room.

Increased Awareness Of Education

The most significant possible improvement in the past was increased awareness.

People started to provide the deserved heed to literacy. They began making efforts to gain an education.

Click here to tweet this post. Click To Tweet

According to analytics, India had a 33% net increase in literacy rate between 2000 and 2019.

The consideration led to improvement in the quality of education.

Everything appeared okay. Education was prospering, but Covid-19 struck halfway. Things started to fall through.

Tough times came for the building. The influence of the virus was critical. The education system started suffering.

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn …and change.”-Carl Rogers

Now let me take you through the effects of coronavirus on the education system:

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Education System

Closure of Educational Institution

The Pandemic has caused widespread closure of Educational Institutions. Schools are unable to run their operations amenably.

According to UNESCO, 1.5 Billion Learners are affected by Covid-19. As a response, Schools have started online learning.

Online education has not been effective. Traditional Exams have been replaced with online assessments.

The attempt to solve the problem of no physical classes has its drawbacks.

Lack Of Internet Facility

The Internet has remained a significant issue for most students. Students from high-poverty communities are unable to access online classes.

Lack of internet facilities has affected academic performance. In India, internet users are very few compared to many other countries.

The Government should plan policies to provide Internet to every student. Ensure that the Internet doesn’t affect any student’s performance. If no solution is found, dire results await us in the future.

Widened Class Disparity- COVID 19

The closure of schools nationwide resulted in classes being held online. The education system chose to be over the web. These online classes are expensive for the middle class.

The cost of a tablet, along with internet packages, makes up a significant amount. It costs around 1000 INR worth of internet package for a month of online classes.

The increased cost means that only people with sufficient resources can avail online courses.

Click here to tweet this post. Click To Tweet

The persistent lockdown has led to the downsizing and closure of multiple businesses. Goldman Sachs indicated a 45% decline in the economy from April to June.

The reduction resulted in people facing an economic crisis. An increased cost for parents is nothing less than a nail in the coffin of self-respect for them.

Ineffective Online Learning System And Lack Of Resources

The online learning system is not as effective as it should be. There is little interaction between students and teachers.

Students fail to clarify their questions because of no face-to-face interaction.

Another problem is about gaining practical knowledge. Online System does not improve functional skills.

Consequently, problem-solving skills are not developed in Students.

Theory-based Education is emphasized in a live session. The information mainly aims at course completion rather than actual knowledge.

This makes the online learning system ineffective.

Ineffective Methods For Young Ones

The education system is going through a severe crisis while the older students have somehow managed.

The weaklings have faced severe difficulty in settling with the online classes.

The kids required a physical classroom and interaction rather than syllabus coverage. Schools act as a second home for students.

The primary purpose is to teach them through healthy interaction. Online classes do not fulfill the goal.

Weak internet connections and voice distortions are severe obstacles in their learning.

Widespread Unemployment In The Education Sector

The closure of schools resulted in widespread unemployment for teachers and the staff.

Net unemployment is at its peak in 2020. This economic crisis had the school staff suffering too.

COVID 19 caused severe troubles for the education sector and its stakeholders. Some schools had to close down. Numerous teachers and staff lost their jobs.

The Conclusion

No one can defeat you until you accept your defeat. Hard times are testing times for the countries.

Nations with proper planning shall get through these times while the others might face serious difficulties.

The times have imposed the need to make extreme changes. The development of online classes is one such measure.

Although the levels are not as good as they should be, they would undoubtedly improve timely.

Everyone related to the sector has changed to digital learning. As these are the early steps, mumbling is unavoidable.

We should give teachers time to adjust to the new medium. Stay patient and believe in them.

Subsequently, we should look for an optimistic approach. Nothing is permanent, and there must be some end. The virus shall fade away as time passes.

A cure would probably be developed. Some of them are even in the market.

According to the latest reports,

Covaxin by Bharat biotech has been allowed for testing. The vaccine has the potential to be a satisfactory cure.

We should not lose hope. Keep ourselves united and available to each other. “The best thing about time is it changes.” Keep our heads high, and hope for the best!

“Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism.”
David M. Burns

I have tried my best to differentiate our Education before and after corona. I hope this article will add some value.

Don’t forget to share this post with others. Please read my other blogs here.