Since the severe pandemic of COVID-19, the world has undergone uncountable changes. The spread of this contagious virus has altered every aspect of human life. Along with disturbance in daily human activities comes the disruption in all sectors of financial industries. During one and a half years, we saw every possible regime in regulation to control and diminish the virus from the face of the earth. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet, but people gradually become more accustomed to the new normal. However, this doesn’t lessen the impact of the Corona Virus on essential sectors like healthcare or education.
Data from UNICEF suggests that more than a billion children are likely to fall behind because of the lockdown. The closure of schools and other academic institutes worldwide has significantly impacted students’ lives and academic learning. Even with the progression of education which was evident before the pandemic, there is a growing risk of unequal and uneven deliverability of schooling. Public service sectors are now focusing on ensuring timely and quality access to education for children worldwide.
Furthermore, during COVID-19, education management has become a big challenge worldwide. It is a field that is concerned with the operation of educational organizations. Education managers provide educational leadership to teachers, principals, and administrative officials of educational institutions in developing educational programs. They contribute their knowledge and expertise to help build a safer and sturdier educational system. The education management jobs are available worldwide to attract more individuals to join this field as a career. As people contribute their knowledge and expertise to help build a safer and sturdier educational system. Despite continuous efforts, there is still a lot left to improve. Let’s have a look at the detailed impact of COVID-19 on education systems worldwide:
- Mobility of International Students
Just before the pandemic, international study programs were on the rise. Universities and colleges from different corners of the world were welcoming international students to scholarships and exchange programs. A growing aspect of diversity in the classroom was becoming widely acceptable. However, ever since the start of the lockdown, these international students were severely hit. Many hostels were shut down, forcing them to bear the travel expenses and come back to their country to continue online education from there.
Otherwise, they had to find accommodations to stay in the host with limited employment opportunities and away from family in such uncertain times. What’s unfortunate is that how their educational experienced lacked the sole purpose of their international academic decisions. They could not benefit from global mobility because of limited outside exposure and almost zero access to the international job market or foreign networking.
- Constraints on Educational Budget
Economies are undergoing significant financial constraints, and there have been updates and alterations in almost all financial budgets. Educational budget, unfortunately, fell under further constriction as it becomes a secondary consideration. Some places worldwide faced significant budget cuts in the educational sector by the government, reducing the financing of public schools. Developing countries, especially, had students become vulnerable and uneducated for over a year because of the unavailability of access tools. For instance, schools provided no additional computer or internet to continue at-home education.
There was no control over mandatory attendance; some parents put their children at work because schools could no longer support their lunch expenses. Educational authorities should ensure that incentives like scholarships and financial help are provided to underprivileged students to improve the situation.
- Ensuring Critical Parameters to Reopen Institutes
Now that things are slowly and gradually coming back to normal, some specific measures and parameters define the new normality. However, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the education sector has faced a 360-degree change. The health risks of reopening educational institutes outweigh the benefits of the notion. School closure prevents up to 30% of the spread of the virus. Official reports have suggested that isolation reduces transmission of the virus in the workplace by 73%, which is why schools are opening but only with limited capacity for seating and that too, on alternative days.
It has led to a reduction in the school curriculum and complete restriction on outdoor activities like sports. Authorities are trying to invest in the human capacity to train the staff and students about dealing with such partial closures. With the vaccination now available to the general public, school authorities ensure that teachers and the staff only enter the premises with their certificates. Still, it has worsened the school experience for many students.
- Non-Inclusive Learning
Many doctors and specialists agree that social interactions are essential for the proper upbringing of children and help develop their intellect. Unluckily, due to the spread of the infectious virus followed by the lockdown to ensure safety, children are now spending their days in loneliness. Their educational experience is minimal, and learnings are almost exclusive. Children are becoming too habitual of staying at home, showing anti-social behavior, badly impacting their IQ levels. All the benefits of diversity in the classroom and the noticeable progress that came with it are ineffective.
We can also see inequality in the deliverability of education as private institutions accommodate their students with equipment to continue learning at home, while public schools fail to. It has significantly affected children who are differently-abled and require special assistance to achieve educational goals. Not all of them can use online technologies and don’t have proper learning tools at home as those the school provides.
- Worsened Academic Results
There has been a significant decrease in academic results worldwide, indicating the inefficiency of educational standards. Neither teachers nor the students were prepared for crucial circumstances that followed the pandemic. Many senior instructors, who are more experienced, fail to learn the technical requirements to connect with students in a virtual classroom. Students have also become more relaxed in class timings because nobody can supervise them as closely as in face-to-face classes. It has become challenging to deliver and accept the appropriate content of education when both parties are untrained. All of this has resulted in the worst academic progress the world has ever seen.
Conclusion
Conclusively, we should be grateful that the technological advancements of this era saved us from completely losing touch with education. It would have been quite challenging if the lockdown happened and the students didn’t have access to it at all! Unfortunately, such is the case for many around the world. We hope to see education ministries worldwide take steps to ensure equality in this case.
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