Covid-19 wrought havoc on our school society. It disrupted normalcy, spread chaos, and took apart the world at its seams. The global economy faltered as countries enacted complete lockdown to prevent further contagion & deaths. Businesses, industries, and entire sectors came to a complete standstill, and our very way of life underwent drastic changes.
Experience Of Students Across The Globe
The ordeal of students was much more harrowing. Schools shut down indefinitely, and the nature of education changed outright. Gone were the days when you could learn & play together with your friends. While not entirely alien, online and digital learning became the norm, and the young minds did not even get enough to adapt & acclimatise to the NEW NORMAL.
After two long years, things slowly crawled back to pre-Covid conditions. Schools gradually reopened but were students ready to go back to school?
The Struggles Of Going Back To The Classroom Across The World
Children who have been studying online for almost two years are now being forced back to school. As countries strive to restore normalcy, pupils are yanked back to the classroom without being given any chance to transition gradually.
India
Reports from educational systems across the globe showcase that they are not transitioning well. An article by The Print highlights students’ struggles across India in bringing about swift changes to their daily routine, mindset, and habits.
Schools across India have reopened, and parents & teachers are struggling to reorient & reintegrate their wards into the classroom. The article cites another piece from UNICEF, pointing out how depression plagues more than 14% of school children across the subcontinent.
USA
In the United States of America, the pandemic confined hundreds of thousands of students at home. Digital learning measures sustain learning through disruption, and many early learners got accustomed to this pattern. But, as in-person learning made a comeback, it was an entirely new ball game for many IB Chemistry tutor.
A write-up by the Center For Disease Control & Prevention highlights the plight of returning students, especially young learners.
Pre-schoolers who got accustomed to online learning find it exceedingly tough to adapt to the new ways. Young children are generally wary of strangers and stay close to their parents or other familiar faces. Learning in an alien environment without their parents nearby is a scary proposition for them.
- School goers with cognitive & nervous disorders or special needs are floundering as they return to class. Likewise, those suffering from general anxiety disorders or developmental delays may need extra time to adjust.
- Transitioning from masks, social distancing, and online learning has been stressful for students.
Australia
A report by Price Waterhouse Cooper, Australia, has a much more positive outlook on the entire situation.
According to the report, the interruption and disruption made Australia’s education system much more agile & resilient. It opened many opportunities and brought an extensive range of robust educational technologies to the fore. As a result, the entire technological landscape of K-12 education in Australia has undergone paradigm changes.
However, the report does not dwell on the psychological impact of the lockdown on learners.
RaisingChildren.net.au, a leading parenting website from Australia, shares some excellent tips to tackle students’ lack of motivation, anxiety, and stress. It urges parents & teachers to:
- Be confident and enthusiastic about their child going back to school.
- Talk, listen, support, and encourage them to share their feelings about going back to school.
- Ask how they find classroom learning and whether they feel nervous or anxious about anything.
- Find out anything that’s troubling them.
- Tell them that it’s OK to feel a bit anxious and give them valid reasons that they will be able to understand.
- Help them reconnect with their classmates and old friends.
- Give them some level of control.
- Support children in getting back to their old routines, and most importantly
- Listen to them & observe their actions and behaviours
OECD Countries
The Covid-19 lockdown disrupted education all over. Every member country of the OECD shut down schools, bringing forth uncertainty in the lives of millions of students. An article by the OECD on the long-term impact of Covid-19 on education shines light upon potential learning loss, demotivation, and loss of aspirations due to disengagement from the school system.
The article puts forth specific effective remedies for parents, teachers & guardians. These include:
- Monitoring student engagement by following up on their attendance, behaviour, and learning progress.
- Addressing potential barriers to student re-engagement
- Providing individualised support to students to ensure the best outcomes through new modes of education delivery
And that brings us to the conclusion of this write-up. The disruptions of Covid-19 have brought forth drastic changes to education and learners’ minds. Going back to school has become a challenge for pupils, and the onus is upon parents, teachers & essay help tutors to guide & reorient them properly.
Hope this write-up was an exciting and informative read for everyone. Take care!
Author-Bio: Reed Bronson is a professor of educational studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. He is also associated with MyAssignemntehelp.com as a part-time tutor and loves guiding young students with their assignments.
