Education after Covid-19

The Great Evolution of Education – Life is not going to be the same after COVID-19. This is the reality that each one of us has to face and understand.

This lockdown has given us an unexpected yet much needed break; to observe change as an inevitable force. In recent decades, mankind has been like a puny peg, living life on a roller coaster; which is exhilarating and exciting, but on the other hand is wedged on rails. Riding at a phenomenal pace, bearing the crests and falls, he has been tied in a situation from where there is no escape and he has had to move with the machine, as a machine.

The education sector too had been coping at its own pace. However, today, it is undergoing a defined evolution. This sector has undergone an intellectual crisis, as in most schools across the country some teachers have held on to traditional methodologies and are not willing to adapt to change. Due to this complacency, the education ecosystem has deteriorated over time. This uncalled for hibernation has not only helped to shake us out of this stupor, but also to see education in a different light. The world of education has come closer, where sharing knowledge has become the new norm. From this empathy has emerged a new energy. Today schools in many states have opened their “online doors” to other school children in their vicinity, thereby ensuring universality of education.

Experts in their fields are becoming accessible through the internet. There is so much knowledge being meted out and ideas being shared. While series after series of webinars have led to a cognitive overload, they have also created an inflow of new ideas and have given the individual a choice to participate and walk on the road less taken.

Schools have resorted to alternate methodologies of teaching. Teachers are trying to find ways to ensure that their students do not stagnate, but are constantly assimilating knowledge and evolving. Lessons are being reworked and innovative strategies are being used to make the teaching/learning process comprehensive and concrete. To achieve this, teachers are undergoing intensive trainings organized by schools, educational boards and private organizations. Teachers who were indifferent towards technology have to now learn to become adept at its usage.

There will be long-term impacts of Covid-19. Teachers cannot simply replicate what they have been doing in classrooms. The quantum of syllabus will have to be reconsidered. A focal shift from broader to deeper perspectives is imperative. We need to conserve our schools and their ethos. Teachers are indispensable; their commitment and sincerity cannot be replaced. The pollination of ideas must take place for ‘Educational Evolution’ in the future. Different pedagogical motley will have to be woven together with a whole lot of patience. It might not be perfect at first, but with adjustments and innovations, it will cater to the needs of all learners.

• The article was originally published in Career Ahead July 2020 issue.