COVID By now each one of us know how the novel corona virus has disrupted what we have considered as the normal sometime ago. Many sectors have undergone damage which will take them years to overcome. Tourism and Travel, Entertainment, Dining are among the some of the worst hit sectors.
Yet, various sectors undertook reforms due to the restrictions imposed and set up the digital infrastructure that has been long delayed COVID until now. Office- Goers adapted to Work from home while businesses set up their digital stores.
One such reform was undertaken in the education sector which has opened the path for the future. While most of the students were to return to their new academic session after the exams in March. Students were stranded inside their homes due to the imposition of a nationwide lockdown. Nevertheless, schools and universities embraced digitalization and begun with virtual classes. While this digitalization move, couldn’t replace the experience of an in-class learning experience but this has made the possibility of online learning a possibility.
While the nationwide implementation of online COVID classes to achieve universalization of elementary education has been discussed time and again but this pandemic has opened up paths for policymakers to undertake such a project.
According to a report by YourStory, “Online learning tools and platforms, with their unique ability to offer students a learning experience customized by budget, learning capacity, and interest, promise to address the interconnected challenges of access, quality, and constrained budgets.”
The education sector in India has also seen a surge in ed-tech platforms in recent times. These platforms will also be playing a pioneering role in developing the skills of wannabe students in addition to their existing curriculum.
If the government can ensure the distribution of necessary requisites especially among the underprivileged it can go a long way in building a COVID sustainable education system over time.
India can also revolutionize in the current education which has rotten and holds little relevance in the modern world.
A futuristic educational system can comprise the current system of classes only up to class eight. Thereafter, students may get themselves enrolled in various programs with the ed-tech platforms. These may be helpful in saving the time COVID of student’s as they can opt for pursuing more knowledge at an earlier stage. Such courses are generally designed for learners to begin as a beginner and end up as professionals.
Most of these courses are customizable and can be adjusted according to the learner’s schedule. This may enable students to get on-field experience by associating with various companies as interns or freelancers during the work hour while pursuing their studies in other parts of the day.
Such a course-based learning model can also help[ students learn more in a smaller period of time as in the current system who could complete the academic syllabus in six months also has to wait for an entire year!
Notably, most of these courses are free and they charge COVID generally for certification at the end. Therefore, students from the poorer sections can acquire skills without actually having to pay for acquiring the skills.
The greatest benefits lie with the students from Tier-2, Tier-3, and Rural areas who can access the teachings of world-class educators while sitting in the comfort of their home.
Virtual education is a resource, if left unutilized, would be stealing a better COVID world from the collective mankind.
