5 Ways Coronavirus Pandemic is Affecting Education
The spread of deadly Coronavirus has taken more than 200,000 lives, while there are more than 3 million active cases worldwide. In such a state of a pandemic, there’s no question of leaving the house unless there’s an emergency. As most countries issue a nationwide lockdown, it is quite obvious that almost every industry, including education, is likely to get affected by it.
According to UNESCO, the closure of schools and colleges has affected nearly 90% of the students worldwide. And even though a lot of instates are offering online classes to students, they are not exactly the ideal alternative of on-campus education. If you are a student, you may find several changes in the field of education and learning during COVID-19 crisis. allessaywriter.com
The process of standardized testing and admissions is being delayed in many countries due to the pandemic. In fact, the US government has made an announcement regarding the cancellation of standardized testing across all states. Usually, the federal mandates the schools to administer exams in English and math for K-12 students. But due to the on-going crisis, it’s cancelled.
Leaders in 19 states, has reportedly announced the cancellation of annual exams, or that they would ask for a federal waiver from the exams.
However, the recent announcement from Trump government ensures that any “proper request” from states to bypass the requirements for testing from 2019-’20 school year will be honored.
Creating obstacles for both learners and educators:
Due to the nationwide closure of schools, colleges and academic institutes, most educators are relying on technology to offer their lessons to the learners. However, most academic institutes are struggling in the process of shifting to online-only courses from the traditional way of teaching. In fact, it has been difficult for everyone to deal with remote learning and communication.
While a lot of institutes lack the proper infrastructure to offer remoter learning facilities, adapting to this technology-based learning has also been difficult for those who had online learning courses in place before the Coronavirus pandemic. For students, adjusting to the new learning environment outside of school has not been seamless either. allessaywriter.com
Making things difficult for low-income families:
The public school system is an essential commodity for a lot of families in the country.
It does not of offer education to the children but also provide with necessities such as food and childcare. With the nationwide closure of schools and public institutions, many children in low-income families are left without proper meals.
Even though most institutes are offering remote learning opportunities over the internet, many students do not have access to computers or the internet at homes. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, a lot of students are missing on the education they deserve until a viable solution can be arranged.
Students having difficulty concentrating:
Studying from home due to the Coronavirus outbreak has been particularly challenging for younger students and those with ADHD and/or special needs. They require in-person assistance to understand the instructions and learn. The online education tools, however, have not been that efficient in assisting them in learning.
While educators are having difficulty facilitating the regular learning environment on the digital space for students, it is hard to imagine a proper facility for students with a special need for the necessary education during the state of a pandemic. This situation clearly indicates that a unique approach to online learning is required to help the students concentrate on their lessons.
Getting new learning opportunities:
Amidst all the challenges and difficulties, there are some good aspects of this shift in approach towards education due to Coronavirus crisis. For a certain segment of students, remote education actually works well, and this is likely to boost their interest in pursuing further education or degrees online.
This is actually providing the students with an opportunity to take advantage of remote education. They can further benefit by choosing distance learning courses of their preferences as well as affordable options. Students who have their doubts regarding the effectiveness of the online courses can also take this opportunity to evaluate them.
It is quite evident that neither the students nor the educators were prepared for a crisis of this magnitude. For the time being, there’s no option besides shifting to an online-only education system. Hopefully, this crisis will help us identify the gaps in the education system and help the educators build a better and more effective system that will provide equal opportunities to each learner on both on-campus and remote learning environment.
Clara smith is a sociology teacher in New Jersey, US. she is also associated with Allessaywriter.com, where she serves as an essay writer. Her job is to provide students with academic support on request. she is also a great painter.
