Education in the age of COVD-19

Wednesday, 20 May 2020 00:19 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

As COVID-19 continues to redefine daily life and the operations of the entire world, everyone has had to change how they do even the most basic of things.

Perhaps one of the most crucial has been how COVID-19 has changed the way education is accessed by the youngest to the oldest. Education, revered for its social mobility and ability to improve equality in society, is now in danger of doing the exact opposite and exacerbating class and social differences.

Around the country there are concerns that as education moves online, poorer students may lose out and not be able to catch up. Problems in accessing personal computers and home internet connections is not only limited to younger students but even thousands of university undergraduates as attested to by University of Colombo Vice Chancellor Prof. Chandrika Wijeratne.

In a recent letter she had pointed out that an estimated 3,000 students of the Colombo University were struggling to access online learning opportunities and were further hampered by financial and geographical issues.

Many of the students who enter public universities of Sri Lanka come from middle class backgrounds and their parents do not have the financial capacity to support them during their degrees. Therefore many of them work part time and use those funds to pay for their lodgings, food, clothes and transport.

But these avenues have dried up and landlords are demanding full rent even though most students have returned home. With their families also struggling to make ends meet there are thousands of students who may fall behind and perform badly in their studies. This situation is exacerbated for students with special needs. Even with the support of the Higher Education Ministry, the University Grants Commission (UGC) as well as other stakeholders, there is limited room to change this situation in time to assist the bulk of this youth.

Even policymakers are stuck in the unenviable position where they cannot sanction reopening of schools due to COVID-19 but the longer the closure to real world classrooms continue the harder it will be to create the same level playing field for all students, especially those who have to face national exams to gain entrance to universities or Advanced Level streams.

As a developing countries struggling with limited fiscal space, resources and a wide skills gap in the job market Sri Lanka will have to grapple with this situation fast. Innovation alone does not always represent quality in learning.

Reponses may channel creative thinking on how to deliver education differently or build on/expand prior local learnings. Policymakers need to consider and evolve new measures of remote learning – high tech, low tech and no tech – provided the response is relevant, feasible and reaches all affected children and youth, can be used and understood by children, teachers and parents, and that content is context and language specific.

Human resource is the best and most prized element of Sri Lanka. If the Government and policymakers are nimble enough they could potentially address issues of inequality that has been plaguing the education system for decades. An entire generation is hoping their opportunities and potential will not be limited by an unfortunate virus.