What reforms are needed in Indian Education system post COVID-19?
The pandemic that occurred due to the outbreak of Corona virus has created unprecedented challenges in the field of education across the world. Post COVID-19, there will be undoubtedly visible changes across the range of human behaviors, from shopping, dining out to travelling to different places. This outbreak is a sign of changing times and human behaviors.
Globally around 1.5 billion students have been impacted due to the closure of schools and universities. In India, this situation has made the teachers and the students to adopt online teaching method. The lockdown affecting the education of millions of students was one of the biggest casualties. The immediate effect of nationwide lockdown was that it made all the schools and colleges to adopt online teaching methods. From conducting classes, examinations and submission of assignments everything has taken a sudden shift to online platforms. The government needs to work on various challenges that the schools and the colleges might have to face in the field of education.
Incorporating the principles of Social Distancing
As soon as the schools and colleges re-opens post COVID-19, the new rules of social distancing needs to be implemented. All the institutions will have to follow strict sanitization process, social distancing among students and teachers in the premises and mandatory wearing masks. The government might consider opening of schools on the alternate days for different students of different class groups separately.
Equal access to e-learning opportunities
The availability of smartphones and Internet during this pandemic, has led students to continue learning through online teaching platforms like Google classrooms, Whatsapp, Zoom etc. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development introduced an online platform called DIKSHA which provides free vernacular content, backed up by low bandwidth capability and strong offline functionality.
Not everyone has the luxury to afford a smartphone but almost 80 percent of the population has a mobile connection. Mediums like radio, television, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and SMS can be deployed to provide editorial contents to all the students, teachers and parents who cannot afford a smartphone. Government schools face a lack of high quality digital infrastructure, poor quality of teacher trainings and knowledge of usage of technology by them. These issues can be addressed by providing internet accessibility and accelerating affordable smartphone ownership to digitalize learning among the students as well as the teachers belonging to the remote areas.
Improvisations in teacher’s training
A teacher’s role is undergoing revolutionizing shifts from chalk-to-talk method to teaching by using the online platforms like Whatsapp, Google Meet, and Google classrooms etc. from their homes itself. This transformation needs to followed by a great focus on relevant content, promote student engagement and provide customized support. It might be challenging for teachers to grab student attention and ensure participation.
Teachers might require being skillful in instructional design, research and ICT tools. State Council of Educational Research & training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Educational training (DIET) can emphasize on improvising training modules, modes of delivery and assessment.
Strengthening the structure and the administration of the systems
As we know that this academic year of schools and colleges are severely hampered, there’s an urgent need to improve delivery mechanisms and ensure the implementation of assigned programs. So, the government should make paperwork digitalized by enhancing database managements to reduce paper works and increase the work speed as well as the efficiency. For instance, In Gujarat, to bring transparency and accountability in work, a Command and Control Centre has been set up.
Conclusion
Curriculum design, skill development and faculty involvement should be focused to transform the Indian education system during this pandemic. With the power of technology, learning can be made inclusive and accessible. In the time of crisis, when a global health crisis has brought the fissures in education, we have to effectively manage the challenges and take actions on them as soon as possible so that the education of millions doesn’t suffer.
