The COVID-19 pandemic is considered the most crucial global health calamity of the century and the most crucial challenge humankind has faced since the second world war.
Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that circulate among various animals such as bats, pangolins, etc. Sometimes these viruses make a jump from animals to humans, causing diseases known as "zoonotic diseases."
The first COVID-19 outbreak was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province China. It was categorized as a pandemic by WHO(World Health Organisation) on March 11, 2020.
Impact on Education:-
Covid-19 is bringing about a whole set of new challenges in every possible region, where education is just one. Given that the rapidly evolving situation around the pandemic has shifted from offline to online mode of teaching-learning.Technology-enabled teaching is the future we are looking towards, but it will not be easy to transition. It is essential to identify the critical challenges for students and teachers in the current scenario. Some of the critical challenges as follows:-
a.Syllabus Completion:-
Since neither students nor teachers were in this situation, continuing with the original plan has become challenging.
The academic plan must be modified to suit the current situation changing both teaching and assessment methods.
b.Psychological Disturbance:-
It is usual for students to undergo stress because of the uncertainty they are facing. Not being able to carry on with a set of routines will further add to their anxiety and affect their mental health. A proper psychological support system needs to be established in the course/curriculum. The focus should be on mental well-being at different times.
c.Shift from offline to online:-
In India, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) promotes platforms like SWAYAM and DIKSHA portal as a short-term solution.
In the long term, the run required excellent investment, as in many areas, students are not benefitted due to limited internet penetration.
d. Reducing paying capacity of parents:-
This is the time of global recession, with many people experiencing financial difficulties. New scholarships and loans should be opened, enabling students to complete their education.
e.Spending on tech infrastructure:-
Due to the sudden requirement of a digital facility to establish a tech-enabled teaching-learning network, this will be a problem for most private institutions as they may hesitate to spend more money during the recession.
f.Innovation through research(for higher education):-
Even though many students and faculty are coming together, they hold them back due to a lack of financial support in the form of dedication. They should be encouraged to undertake research.
Lesson learn from this pandemic:-
History repeats itself! Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, it is quite possible to reoccur in the future, for which we need to prepare for upcoming challenges.
The biggest lesson we have learned is that we have to focus on technology.
The pandemic shows us the importance of the public healthcare system, where a group of doctors should get adequate training to fight such pandemics shortly.
To fight against the pandemic, natural disaster a considerable amount of money is required for which a certain amount of money in the form of disaster relief fund to be kept.
Urban planning is also essential to tackle such pandemics by replacing slumps.
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