COVID 19: IMPACT ON EDUCATION

Avdhesh Jha

The little corona with its silent declaration of war against humanity terrorized humanity. With lockdown and the advisories from the government, it created deep impact on the society. Especially in the education field, it brought about dramatic changes. The advisories and the notices sent by the different governing bodies, councils and the boards of education stressing on conducting researches and related activities brought about changes at all levels of education whether primary, secondary or tertiary.

With all the imposed advisories from the authorities, the institutional heads without taking a least time to think, acted by forwarding it to their colleagues and the channel continued until it came to an end. It was only then, many who never prepared a paper, prepared the research papers within the four walls. With the existence of autocracy in most of the universities, institutes and colleges especially in the private sector, the institutional heads started exploring the other alternatives and ZOOM became the popular. Whereas in higher education some of the teachers used ZOOM as a platform to conduct online classes and some enthusiastic used it as a platform for webinars, it was merely abused by most of the institutional and organizational heads for the day long meetings continuing for the weeks and a month with their subordinates without any substance. It was pity that when the country and the fellowmen were suffering, these heads continued on discussing post COVID 19 opportunities for the monetary benefits.

Zoom, not only restricted to higher education reached the schools and tuition classes. As if these were less, some schools initiated online classes for the primary and pre-primary school students and it was tragic and funny that the mother with the child in her lap and mobile in her hand remains helping her child to get educated by the so called apt, dedicated and devoted schools. This was the height of the abuse of the technology. Was it so necessary for a small child to be on screen and that too the screen which cannot be controlled? Such schools were more disastrous than the corona to infect the parents and thus infect the children permanently. Indeed, education is necessary but home is the first school and mother is the first teacher. Apart of the formal lessons, the most important lessons of etiquettes, sharing and caring could have been taught by the parents rather than giving them the online lessons which may be a disaster for the kids cannot discriminate between the good and bad shared by the internet and even the internet fails to differentiate the age and maturity of the users.

Simultaneously, the education boards started the assessment of the papers and the teachers were forced to come to assess the papers. Ofcourse, it was necessary. But when the terror of corona was rising, the facilities were few, social distancing was a problem and above all the mindset was not favourable, at this point of time, the evaluation or the assessment of the exam papers were questionable and doubtful because the worth of any work done out of compulsion and imposition is doubtful and these papers to be evaluated were the one to decide the future of the potential students, state and the country which cannot be taken casually. Nevertheless, with the fear of each individual being infected, at this time, it was difficult to assure that the terrorized mind which hardly allowed to accept the call of satisfying the necessities other than the basic necessities would allow the body and mind to be ready enough to assess the papers normally and neutrally. In the situation, when the opening of the schools and colleges were uncertain; risking many lives, the papers were assessed to declare the results timely but output remains questionable and doubtful. The declaration of results on time doesn’t mean development, for the real development lies in the character formation of students.

Again, education is must and the use of technology as online teaching maybe temporarily fine but it is the fact that no technology can replace the classroom teaching because classroom deals with emotions, feelings and pacification of the called and uncalled, said and unsaid doubts of students which can be pacified only in presence. The webinars maybe welcome but it missed the opportunity to develop intimacy and have the company of the acknowledged persons face to face and the online classes missed the emotions. Although the economic rise of any institute was must but the unending and tiring humiliating vague meetings to ponder on the idea of COVID 19 as an opportunity was unworthy and more an imprisonment. Such an action of the authorities depicted their missing national character, education and humanity. Teachers add fragrance to the student’s life by nourishing and nurturing them. Thus, teachers need to be strong to protest against the wrongs whether against themselves, to the students, society or the country for they are the backbone of the society and if backbone is weak the progress of the society is certainly impossible. Education needs to be strengthened with more values for society, humanity and developing national character among each individual because life is to add life to the life and ultimately life is for life.