COVID-19 pandemic has been a global crisis for each and every individual. Lockdown and pandemic has deeply affected individuals mentally, physically, financially and emotionally. Work From Home and online classes has shown us a new path and reflected that humans learn to evolve even in emergency situations. On one hand, home stays brought families together but it also affected education of our young buds as well.
COVID pandemic became a speed breaker for Indian education. Lockdown brought the entire education to a standstill which created a sense of panic among all the stakeholders i.e. parents, teachers, academicians and bureaucrats. For almost 21 months children struggled to understand the new pedagogical method adapted to educate the children. After the announcement of school reopening, the stakeholders especially children breathed fresh air which was short lived. Children were excited to revisit back to their schools but smog and air pollution brought a sense of fear among the parents. Recently, schools in Delhi have been shut due to poor air quality. The government (central and state) on one hand were encouraging the students to join schools, but on the other hand were reluctant to put their lives at stake.
According to Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), it has been noticed that the private school enrollment in the age group of 6-14 has dropped from 32.5% in 2018 to 24.4% in 2021. On the other hand, students enrollment in government schools in the age group of 6-14 has increased from 64.3% to 70.3%. One of the major reason of this shift is due to loss of jobs and poor financial conditions. Parents especially those who are migrant laborer or having their domicile in another state are facing this grim situation and children- the future of our nation are at stake of losing on learning!
Schools and the other stakeholders have a fundamental responsibility to make sure that the two year gap in educating the children needs to be bridged. One of the silver lining in this crisis has been use of innovation and innovative methods in educating the children. The schools need to make sure to continue these innovative techniques and also ensure other alternative solutions such as bi-weekly visit to schools.
The future of this nation lies in the hands of the upcoming generations. It’s our responsibility to make sure that strong, well-educated representatives of the state should be developed.
Aayyush Mehta
Program Manager