From Pandemic to Panacea

WHY? - Why do we need to reimagine education for the post pandemic world?

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” said Albert Einstein. New perspectives and mind set is essential to thrive in and after COVID-19 which has certainly presented a world filled with exacerbated challenges, different set of possibilities/ skills/ technology, a unique context and an evolving way of life.

COVID-19 has greatly disrupted access to education beyond the staggering impact on human life. On one hand, school closures have compelled the education system to quickly devise and apply different modes of remote learning such as radio, TV, and various other types of online tools.  However,  on the other hand, access to technology has been varying across and within countries. It has led to severe learning crisis and limited opportunities, especially for the most marginalized children and young people (including girls, children with disabilities, and children impacted by emergencies) who remain on the wrong side of the digital divide, being exposed to the inequities in the school system.  Additionally, it has caused long-lasting effects on the health, nutrition and psycho-social wellness of children and youth.

Imagine…To what extent school closures have affected learning, especially for primary school children in low/ middle income set ups?

Imagine… How shutting of schools has caused more educational and social inequalities among boys and girls, among poor and affluent children, and across communities and countries of varying income levels?

Imagine… What are the pitfalls of new and existing approaches of dealing with the challenges like the digital divide inequities, impact on mental wellness and social injustice?

Imagine… to reimagine!

WHAT? - What are the ways in which children and youth reimagine education?

Re-imagination is the basis for vision and change and we, the young people of country have come up to suggest some of the following ideas and solutions, as we continue to reimagine- education and ways to recover learning loss caused by the pandemic.

• Reopening of schools/ anganwadis safely: Schools must reopen while they ensure proper vaccination of the teachers/ other staff and comply with the COVID protocols.
• Remedial programs: Programmes must be created to help children catch-up on lost learning and the academic calendar should be reinvented to recover from the existing learning crisis.
• Low cost Ed Tech: Access to high-speed internet and affordable gadgets to access online resources must be improved by investing in low-cost Ed Tech The stakeholders must take steps to facilitate infrastructure development (including the improved quality and bandwidth of internet connection) and they should policies to enhance the quality of digital schooling while simultaneously boosting budgets for education and health.
• Blended learning Model: Blended learning must be a new normal offering best of both face-to-face (direct interaction, group discussions, hands on experiments) and online learning experiences (use of digital content, virtual webinars/ activities etc.).
• Use of Artificial Intelligence: The power of artificial intelligence must be harnessed positively and made accessible to all for automating activities like grading, personalised learning and standardized testing.
• Holistic Educational Framework: The pandemic crisis has proven that we have the tools and potential but we need to craft a dynamic education framework that should not only build and accredit basic skills like reading, writing but also, inculcate skills in problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking to empower holistic well-being of the young people and their communities.