Education: Beyond Boundaries
The Disruption
Although, COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history; but it has brought along with it new era of digital mode. We know and experienced that everything comes with pros and cons, so it is with this time.
During this pandemic time education is not confined to the proverbial three R’s of academic excellence. In recent times education has become not only a tool for individual development, but also acts as a catalyst for collective enrichment and qualitative transformation of society as the digital mode has crossed all the boundaries and provided us lot many tools to enhance and improve our skills.
And this E-learning seems to have clearly transcended across the verge of classroom in India. According to a KPMG study, the online education industry in India is expected to register a six-fold growth by 2021 to 9.6 million (from 1.6 million users in 2016) and estimated at $1.96 billion.
The Impact
This is very much obvious that, this crisis has stimulated innovation and transformation in education sector. The academic institutions which were earlier reluctant or not completely ready to change their traditional pedagogical approach had now shifted entirely to online teaching–learning.
We all are agreeing with this fact that online learning serves as a panacea in the time of crisis. We have seen innovative approaches all over the world which assisted us to sustain from radio, internet and television to take-home packages. Distance learning solutions were developed. We must be grateful to governments and partners all over the world for their quick response.
The Learning
These changes have also highlighted that the promising future of learning, and the accelerated changes in modes of delivering quality education, cannot be separated from the imperative of leaving no one behind. No wonder that with this change of mode of teaching the perception and ideology of parents too have changed.
Lot many Parents of my students, who have option to work from home have moved to their home town and children are attending online classes from there itself. Did we ever think of this? But I have noticed, and experienced that many have left the school and enrolled their ward wherever their family members are teaching in another city or state.
Did we ever think of this?
Like one of the students of mine has joined school in Hyderabad as his other cousins are there. So, he would get help if miss the class ever or can enjoy study with cousins.
Another one from Noida has joined school of Jaipur where his Grand Mother is a teacher that way child would get help from the akin or relatives or the guidance from Grand Mother. It’s good that options has increased more now although social interaction is required for overall growth and reopening will be a sigh of relief for parent and kids both.
But as life comes with surprises!
We should all be grateful to the corona virus pandemic. It has taught us the meaning of life and its purpose reminded us what we are, we are a lot more adaptable than we thought.
