Impact of Covid-19 on Education

The educational sector has shown rapid  changes and adaptations during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  It is one of the sectors that managed to bounce back early and adapt itself to the requirements during Covid-19. Some schools continued to teach students online even as lock-downs began across the globe.

Exams , assignments, lectures, P.T.Ms everything turned online within days or weeks. Even teachers who were not tech savvy learnt the use of technology in matter of days so that students do not suffer during the lock-down.
The sectors which managed to stay afloat during the crisis were primarily  educational, agricultural, Information technology, food and beverage, and most importantly – the health sector.
The long term impact of Covid-19 on the educational sector would be enormous, compared to the other sectors. The e-learning sector is growing at 8.5% and is likely to grow at a higher rate in the coming years.
The sudden transition from classroom  teaching  to online teaching brought unforseen changes in the teaching and learning patterns that would change the face of education forever.

Technology will not replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.

George Couros

 Online schooling was welcomed by most of the school students during the pandemic. Though much of the fun that exists in the class-room were missing,  still students were relieved to get back to  their classrooms, albeit virtual. 
It was  trying times for teachers who did not have much experience with the nuances of online teaching.  The toughest part was getting the materials ready each day for teaching students. With online searches and lots of hard-work teachers managed to provide good learning experiences for the students. The next challenge was retaining the attendance and attention of the students, which was initially difficult but was tackled by teachers over time.
Teachers are continuing to work day and night to help their students learn.
Online teaching platforms have flourished throughout the web and have grown during the lock-down phase.
 In spite of the fact that all round development is not possible through online classes, and physical activities suffer; it is clear that online education is here to stay.

 With open platforms, free videos and courses; education is likely to be free for most in the future as revenues will be earned through different modes.
The students who suffered most during this phase are those from the developing countries.  For the children from the poorest background who hardly manage to get two meals a day,  schooling during times of crisis is but a remote dream. Most of the students who received meals at school had to work to help feed themselves and their families. 
NGOs and Government should take measures so that these children would benefit from the changing face of education.  Technology would help these kids to get the best educators for free which would reduce the great divide that exists between private and public schools. For accessing the benefits of e-learning these students would need devices. People who can afford to help must pool-in to help students get these devices. Online education is still in its infancy and will be growing in the coming years.
All educators agree that the change that would have taken at least five years, has taken place within five months during the pandemic.  Most of this, hopefully will bring positive changes in the educational sector in the times to come.

Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.

Bill Gates