Emergency -1975

DAWN OF A NEW LEARNING IN POST COVID ERA

            India has showcased an indomitable spirit in grappling with an invisible and yet invincible enemy Corona. Covid-19 has struck and crippled every soaring sphere of the country. One of the worst-hits by corona is the Education sector, which, once in a high vigour, has become almost standstill. Though online platform has come as a panacea facilitating remote learning programs, Govt.’s alacrity to this at the eleventh hour has yielded no better result. Because our curriculum is based on a traditional approach and many students don’t know how to use the platform, many even don’t have access to technology. Consequently, the facile generalization and gaps in communication has made our system crumble. Besides, we lack a solid base also. So it’s high time to ponder over our prevalent system, its lapses, and the way out.

            Questions have been raised on the immunity of our education system to survive this blow. Our decades-long endeavors to take education to a cutting edge have been adversely impacted and now only uncertainties encompass us. Prior to covid-19, we had never tried to digitally standardize our system, but rather modified the traditional one only. So in the acid test, it stumbled and unveiled how fragile it was. We also have to admit the lacunae in the prevalent curriculum, one being most of the schools are still far from computer education. When the race of digitalization was on, our education system lagged behind. But now the time has come to learn from these lapses and transform our learning-process. To move forward in this challenging time, the education sector needs to demonstrate resilience and explore the plethora of opportunities that lie ahead to transform our system. The plan should be astutely chalked out to achieve a far-reaching outcome in a country like India.

            Apparently, there is no hope of deus ex machina and only our visionary efforts can turn the problem into opportunity. We must, now, strive to do away with the old pedagogic and chalk-talk method and contrive innovative models with more sustainable, constructive, and qualitative approach. The whole system is now relying on the digital learning and it is providing a better result than expected. So what we have now is a prototype to redesign our model on. A digital platform must be introduced alongside classroom which will help us in manifold ways. But before taking it home (in remote learning cases), we should start in the school first and train and make the young minds get accustomed to it. Technology will be a better intermediary in TLP and can get us better TLMs. So development of e-contents should be prioritized. The teachers must adopt and adapt to the new technology based learning system which will provide vital breakthroughs. Also we must head towards an internationalization of education. Though we have got a globalized curriculum, the globalized TLP is limited to the elite institutions only. Since most of the students are deprived of the access to a globalized learning system, we shouldn’t leave a stone unturned to provide access to this digital platform to all. With the advancement of technology and digital platform, we can build an internationalized and glocal learning system, where the competent teachers and resource-persons from across the country and World can teach our local students. There might be a communication barrier initially, but it can be solved by the concerned teachers. The simultaneity of classroom and digital teaching will make the learning more effective and students will get influenced and inspired by this. This method will also benefit the teachers. They can both explore the vast international resource and invent better ways of teaching and deliver their lectures online to students across the country. The whole process can be made productive this way and help in faculty development. It will also open up opportunities for both students and teachers in international arena.

            Nevertheless, the go-online vision is not easy and entails some issues. Technology is still alien to many students (mostly rural) across India and only a few are privileged enough to avail this. Even some Teachers are also not competent to use technology. So our first and foremost step should be laying foundation of this digital platform making it available and accessible to all. The internet connectivity across India should be strengthened. Digital Infrastructure in schools and colleges should be developed. Some students and teachers may take time to acquaint themselves with the new system. But steps must be taken to ease their problem and also extra care should be given to the mental health of primary students (as online learning may have a negative impact also). Once set, online lectures, videos, FDPs etc. must be made available alongside classroom teaching. This will surely ease the pressure of syllabus and shape and stimulate the young minds.

            E-learning platform is the need of the hour. The Government must give it a major boost to attain the vision and set a paradigm for time to come, as possibility of such unavoidable enemy in future can’t be discarded.