Education during pandemic

Students have been one of the worst affected by the lockdown imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their academic careers and future prospect have also been hampered by the crisis as all educational institutes remain shut indefinitely and examinations have been canceled.

One of the foremost decision made when the health crisis emerged was the closure of schools and colleges. Students were forced to stay at home and all examinations were postponed. Teachers were worried about completing coursework so that students can pass their exams. The government has delayed exams until June-July but it is not uncertain if the situation will improve by that time. It is difficult for children to study at home and has added responsibilities for their guardians.

The O/A Levels Cambridge International Assessment Examinations have also been postponed worldwide. There will be no exams in the upcoming May/June session and instead students will appear in the Oct/Nov session. This is an unprecedented decision but will impact their academic careers. Many students will lose an entire academic year as they would be unable to gain admission in colleges and universities as results would be delayed as well.

This will be a huge burden on students whose academic careers would be affected. In many countries such as UK, students are being passed on their prospective grades and the assessment of their teachers. Students elsewhere such as in Pakistan don’t have similar assessments and have to wait a full year before the regain control and get admission in prestigious universities and colleges.

While school students stay at home, universities have been told to start online classes. This has created problems for many students who do not the required facilities. It has also been observed that many teachers are reluctant to conduct online classes. The poor quality of online lectures has created a new controversy as teachers leave short videos rather than complete classes. Students are questioning whether their hefty fees are being wasted on below par online courses.

The HEC has taken notice of the poor quality of online lectures during the pandemic. While the government mulls new ways such as launching a TV channel and lessons for school students, many universities have already closed down and announced summer break. This is impacting the upcoming academic year as admissions are starting and many prospective students restricted by the lockdown might be unable to get admissions.

As the education of young people has been impacted, governments and authorities should find ways to facilitate students. Educational institutes should ensure that their academic careers are not wasted and they are provided a quality education while they stayed at home due to pandemic.