The rapid spread of the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in many countries caused widespread school closure around the world to mitigate the development of a full-blown pandemic. This abrupt decision saved lives as it protected people from getting infected and continues to prevent more possible damages of the pandemic. However, global school closure greatly affects the education sector causing delays in classes and changes in the education system.
Education is an important aspect of a life and of a society. It helps a person have a better chance to compete in the workforce and a society to have better economic growth. Poor access to education leads to poverty which is why governments are working hard to deliver quality education to their constituents. This is also the reason why governments are eager to pursue schools reopening in the midst of a pandemic despite the limited preparations.
One of the options to continue education while we are still experiencing the threat of the COVID-19 is to bring education to online platforms. With the use of computers and internet connection, teachers and students can conduct classes while staying at home. This is a great alternative to traditional frontal classes as it ensures absolute social distancing which is necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.
However, many students may not be able to participate in online classes because of the lack of the necessary resources. Only 60% of the global student population have access to a computer and internet connectivity. A situation that causes disadvantages to children in poverty.
Another alternative to traditional classes is modular learning systems in which teachers provide printed instructional materials with activity pages to test the students’ understanding. This also applies social distancing as teachers will spend limited time with their students. Teachers will only need to deliver the modules and assess the students at the end of every term or course. No need to gather all of the students in a crowd which can spread the disease.
The disadvantage of modular learning system is that parents need to take more of the responsibility in helping their children to understand the lessons. This worries some parents especially those who have limited education as they may not be able to provide proper education to their children. On a news interview in Asia, a father said “It’s okay if my child is still in kinder or elementary but she is now in High School. How can I help her if I only finished grade 4?”
School closure and changes in the education system caused significant impacts on families. Many families especially in low-income countries rely on schools not only for education but for food and childcare. Some schools provide free meals for their students which are taken advantage by parents who are in poverty. Hence, school closure causes hunger to millions of children across the world. In addition, many parents are forced to leave their work as they have to take care of their young children which affects the family’s income.
Many children may not be able to enroll this year because of the difficulty of the new education methods. This can cause early marriage which can greatly contribute to poverty.
The changes in the education system caused by the Coronavirus are challenging for children, parents, and society. Delivering education using new methods is risk-taking but is necessary to prevent further damage from the pandemic. There could be failures in these abrupt changes but there are also advantages such as innovating the traditional education system that we have been using for hundreds of years. Perhaps we need these challenges to have the courage to try new things like adopting technologies in education.
Isabella Whitmore is a mother of two, a teacher, and https://bangcacloai.com/ an advocate of better education for every student. She writes articles about health, education, family, and households. You can find some of her work at website , an appliance website that offers a wide selection of electric kettles which are handy and reliable.