Don’t close the doors to Education: COVID-19
View(s):Education is not only about online learning, but about mixed media learning, with the objective of reaching as many students as possible, today
It is stated that the World War II and the Great depression were the last periods in which so many countries around the world saw schools and educational institutions go into lockdown at around the same time and for the same reason.
While we know that the impact of this virus will be far-reaching, what might it mean in the longer term for education? It is essential that students and educators take charge, strategize, plan and implement strategies on the way forward, without waiting further. Education must continue, and we are all responsible to take action and do our part.
Covid-19 might be the disruption that the sector needed to get us all to rethink how we educate, and question what we need to teach and what we are preparing our students for. So, as educators discuss new ways of communicating with students away from classrooms, it is a good time to reflect on how this disruptive crisis can help define what learning should look like for the younger generations.
EDUCATOR AS A FACILITATOR, AND NOT A KNOWLEDGE HOLDER
The notion of an educator as the knowledge-holder who imparts wisdom to their pupils is no longer fit for the purpose of a 21st-century education. With students being able to gain access to knowledge, and even learn a technical skill, through a few clicks on their phones, tablets and computers, we will need to redefine the role of the educator in the classroom and lecture theatre. This may mean that the role of educators will need to move towards facilitating young people’s development as contributing members of society.
LIFE SKILLS DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE
young people require resilience and adaptability – skills that are proving to be essential to navigate effectively through this pandemic. Looking into the future, some of the most important skills that employers will be looking for will be creativity, communication and collaboration, alongside empathy and emotional intelligence; and being able to work across demographic lines of differences to harness the power of the collective through effective teamwork.
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX TO DELIVER EDUCATION
Richer countries are better prepared to move to online learning strategies, although with a lot of effort and challenges for teachers and parents. In middle-income and poorer countries, the situation is very mixed and if we do not act appropriately, the vast inequality of opportunities that exists will be amplified. Many children do not have a desk, books, internet connectivity, a laptop at home, or supportive parents. Others do. What we need to avoid – or minimize as much as possible – is for those differences in opportunities to expand and cause the crisis to have an even larger negative effect on poor children’s learning.
The appropriate strategy is to use all possible delivery modes with the infrastructure that exists today. Use online tools to assure that lesson plans, videos, tutorials, and other resources are available for some students and probably, most teachers. But also, podcasts and voice notes and other resources that require less data usage. Working with telecommunication companies to apply zero-rate policies can also facilitate learning material to be downloaded on a smartphone, which more students are likely to have.
Radio and TV are also very powerful tools. The advantage we have today, is that through social networks, WhatsApp or SMS, ministries of education can communicate effectively with parents and teachers and provide guidelines, instructions and structure to the learning process, using content delivered by radio or TV.