Outcome of COVID-19 on the Schooling System

The outcome of COVID-19 on the schooling system i.e. primary schools and secondary schools around the world. How the teachers’ and parents’ decisions regarding the same are affecting the education of the students.

With all that is affected globally due to COVID-19, we cannot disregard the consequences faced by our young minds and the schooling system. To follow up on the anxiety of starting a new class and then being completely shut off from the world, in one way or another, impacts the Generation Z and Alpha.

Though with the worldly change that is online learning has become the need of the hour, the question that arises is ‘Does it work for everyone?’

What about the people living in areas with low bandwidth? Do they have any other facility to cover their education within the given scenario? Even if the children seek guidance from their parents, it can be quite a challenge especially for those parents who both go to work. With the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, the decision of the lockdown made parents unprepared to have their kids at home, schooled either by them or online, which made the situation a little complicated with the work of their own.

Online learning doesn’t bode well with the young mind that is meant to grow in the creative environment of the school. The chances are that the curious side of the brain could struggle with the means of digitized education. We cannot say that this alteration is permanent, that the suffering around the world won’t go away but at the same time we cannot just sit on our chairs with open computers, and expect to learn the social and emotional tendencies towards growth.

The importance of education comes through the creativity and exposure provided by the school environment. All kind of knowledge shapes the child into growing and evolving. To follow the education system for the betterment of the child has become a challenge with the current circumstances.

• Impact of COVID-19 on International Students

Now, that the schools are reopening, what can we expect? Divided into different areas, the countries around the world have people with a very subjective point of view which somehow also derails the education system and the health policies to be followed.

Within different countries, the schools are following different highlighted health cautions. For instance in Italy, the classes would take place in places with big areas like the theatre or museums or even the playground. France didn’t opt for limited class size or prevention of groups of pupils from mixing. Whereas Denmark, the first country to reopen the gates of schools for the primary pupils back mid-April, has taken high measures to follow the health protocol for the students and the teachers. Practices such as washing hands and compulsory sanitizing throughout the day, as little contact as possible were being followed.

The situation in India is, however, quite contrasting. With few states having reopened the schools for senior secondary pupils, written consent from parents have been sought beforehand. As with the board exams (akin to the leaving certificate) held in the country, India is trying to not let a whole year of education go to waste.

• Education in Ireland post Lockdown

Each country is doing its best in an attempt to stop this pandemic, once and for all. With the onset of the second wave which is likely to cause more damage than the first, there have been pressing questions as to how would the government manages to cope up with the crises at the same time, keep the schools open and allow the students to enjoy a normal life.

While the schools cannot afford to shut and re-open again, the question that comes into the scene is how would the government and the schools manage this situation?