The outbreak of Covid-19, has brought a drastic change in the education system in India and also in other parts of the world. Students, their parents and educators around the world are feeling the extraordinary ripple effect of the Novel Coronavirus, as schools are shutting down and quarantine methods are being ordered to cope up with the global pandemic. While the Government and the health officials are doing their best by slowing down the eruption, the global education systems are collaborating to collectively respond and provide quality education for all, during these difficult times. Various websites and summary reports are released in order to provide quality education for all learners during Covid-19 along with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), for expanding on the opportunities and challenges for education during these unprecedented times.
A record number of 1.54 billion children and youth have been impacted by the pandemic and as of 31st March 2020, 185 countries in Asia and Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America have announced and implemented school and University closure. Several effective solutions have been forwarded in order to help parents and children to navigate through the plethora of challenges facing education during the pandemic.
The teachers had to face various challenges in order to continue and take forward the teaching learning process and for this the teachers had to focus to form stronger connection with parents and students and to upgrade themselves to the challenges and access to digital learning resources.
Digital learning started playing a major role here asin order to continue the process of imparting education to children and upcoming generations, the pandemic has left no option for mankind. It is because of the advancement of digitalization and its contribution to the developmental process, that the world continued to move forwardwith almost the same pace amidst such vulnerable situation that has been created by the Novel Coronavirus or the world wide pandemic. The teaching learning process continued only because of the online mode of education. Not only the academic education is imparted through online process, but also other co-curricular classes like Yoga, dance, art etc. also continued to work and move on with the help of online mode of imparting education. Various applications are created and introduced so as to make the teaching training process a convenient and fruitful one.
Online teaching has turned up as a massive shock for both teacher’s productivity and also student’s social life and learning. Teaching and student assessment have moved online, with a lot of trial and error and uncertainty for everyone. It is very much normal for common people, including the teachers to experience stress and anxiety because of such uncertain period.
In order to face the work pressure that has been put to deliver quality learning at a time of worldwide crisis, while supporting their students’ emotional needs, the teachers, as humans too need support and appreciation from the parents, authority and also from the students so as to boost up their mental spirit and their enthusiasm towards their services to the society and the posterity. The teachers of all the departments are preparing the study materials and are updating them on a daily basis on the respective websites or online classrooms, so as to maintain continuity in the teaching learning process. It is through skype, zoom apps sessions or other online apps that the teachers are taking live classes and are also trying to solve the various queries of the students and their parents. The teachers are also planning and executing online assignments and tests so that the students remain serious towards their studies without getting into monotony.
In order to meet such demands of the hour, the teachers are facing various challenges and difficulties. The responsibilities of the teachers are now not only confined to the four walls of the classroom but is now an open challenge to face not only the students and the authority but also the outside world via online mode of communication As very few teachers are well- acquainted with the digital and ICT skills, so it seems to be a challenge for most teachers or even the teachers community to turn the classroom teaching materials to a digital format at a short notice. The online process of teaching, no doubt, is of great help in almost all sectors, including the educational sector, but the internet connectivity issues are creating much interruptions and disturbances. The teachers are further given the responsibility of keeping the students on board and try various alternatives in order to avoid distractions from other social networking sites during the learning period. Another challenge that the teachers are facing is to keep record and impart education to all the students in equal manner. The students are from various social backgrounds and so not every student has access to laptop or an internet connection or even a smart android phone. In such cases, it is not possible for every student to attend the online classes. thereby creating hurdle for the teachers to keep a track of every student and their academic developments.
The pandemic has brought a new shape in the teachers’ contribution towards the upliftment of knowledge and to continue providing education amidst such worldwide crisis. The entire yearly academic process has been well presented through the digital mode of education. Not only the course of study and various assignments are conducted through the online process, but also various seminars, workshops, psychological sessions, necessary meetings and also online competitions are well presented through various apps and websites. The Covid-19 phase has created the teachers to be technical experts in providing quality teaching, keeping in view the holistic developments of the students. Though the teachers had to take up great efforts in the initial phase, by making themselves used to with the new technicalities of providing education through the online process, but with the passing time, things turned up to be a new normal and a convenient one for both the ends.
The efforts, new plans and execution no doubt has its own sets of challenges, yet all our teachers made it possible through their dedication and commitment towards creating a educated society.
