By Wanshan B Khardewsaw
The education of millions of students around the globe is disrupted by the spread of Covid-19; Meghalaya is no exception. Our experiences during the last few months have, however, proved that we can indeed convert any crisis into opportunity and all of us parents, students and teachers alike continue to be learners. The Pandemic has brought us all closer and made us stronger, making the entire learning and education process more of a family affair!
There is no denying that this pandemic has made us feel the pain of inequalities more strongly. The Indian society in itself is characterized by chronic social inequalities in terms of availability of resources and infrastructures that are essential to ensure continued learning during times such as these. Sadly though, this is the time that the ugly head of class divide (between the rich and the poor, urban and rural, etc) is becoming more vicious.
The government of Assam has taken a decision on the June 29 to extend the academic calendar for government schools in the state from the existing December to March next year. The decision was supposedly taken to compensate the loss of academic days because of the Pandemic. And, needless to say, the Government of Meghalaya is contemplating a similar move. However, any decision to extend the academic calendar to March-April as contemplated by the Education Minister is not fair and justified to most students.
The reality is that students have been almost totally detached form regular classes and classrooms learning, but to say that they have been altogether detached from the schooling system and learning process is wrong and misleading. I, for one, have witnessed that the student community, particularly small kids in their Primary school level are learning more than what most parents and guardians are expecting. These are the section of students who have been able to learn more than what they are expected to learn in a normal/regular classroom. Of course, they have been devoid of many learning opportunities in a regular classroom, but at the same time they have been able to learn faster and better under the close supervision of their parents and guardians in this semi-home school system that we are all forced to follow during almost this entire academic year.
No doubt our children have missed their teachers and also the opportunity to learn and interact physically/directly with them during this whole time, and certainly it is almost impossible for any parent or guardian to replace a teacher. Any serious and hardworking parent would however agree that this pandemic has taught all of us the patience and commitment that was all along an exclusive characteristic that belonged to this special group of people called Teachers!
A certain study, as reported in the Financial Express of July 13, 2020 states that only about 42% of households have access to internet in urban area as compared to 15% in rural areas, and hence the conclusion that Online education is catering to the needs of only a chosen few is very much validated.
Nonetheless, it is also very interesting to learn that many schools in villages and rural Meghalaya are arranging study materials for their students, for which the parents are to come and collect from the school office on allotted days and time, so that their children will not miss the opportunity to study and learn. The past few months have also brought teachers and parents together and closer like never before. This will certainly change the outlook and attitude of both teachers and parents for the betterment of our children and wards.
It is safe to say that most children, not only in urban areas have been able to learn during this pandemic period. Certainly some have learned more and some less, but again who can guarantee that all students will have the same level of learning and knowledge in the whole state, even under any (supposedly) normal circumstances. In fact, it is not possible to have the same level of learning and knowledge even in the same classroom, and the Education Department knows this more than anyone else. The question that people would like to ask now is, why then take the decision to extend the academic year to March-April for the reason that schools from rural areas have been left out of the Online Learning Process and probably the entire learning process?
No one knows whether or not there is any study or data to support whichever claim that may exist on this matter. But, one fact is certain and that is, if at all the students from rural areas, or any region are suffering because of whatever reason, it all boils down to the lack of infrastructure and facilities, for which the ultimate blame is on successive governments who have neglected these area and sectors for so long and hence put our rural population in this pathetic situation. Is it then fair to make our children, the students of today, who will ultimately be the future of the state and who will one day shoulder the entire responsibility of lifting our state from whatever the situation we are in, pay for this? We should not forget that the simple decision of stretching the academic calendar means six months of precious life to our children. Aren’t our children suffering enough?
We should also not forget that making our children attend school in the peak of winter is not a very smart idea, and will probably be torturous for both children and teachers. Both students and teachers will have to sacrifice and put in a lot, for very little and short duration of classroom learning as it will not be possible to make them sit under the cold classrooms for more than they can actually bear.
This is not to say that our students/children are entitled or deserve to be promoted just for the sake that the pandemic has taxed them enough! We should not forget that the teachers and school authorities know better and can take the best decision on whether or not a student should be promoted, and certainly the majority of schools, if not all, have a better plan and formula for this. So why not leave it to their wisdom and expertise to take this decision? Instead of stretching the academic calendar by a few months, it will be much wiser to advice all Schools to allot one or two months in the next academic calendar in teaching the syllabus of the previous academic year.
And given the way that some schools are going with their Online and other virtual classes, most of them will definitely need less than a month to cover the loss.
The government need not be reminded that many other states in the country have already cancelled all exams and declared that students will be promoted to the next class based on one factor or the other, and certainly we can always learn from them.
A judicious blend of official policies, technical inputs from academicians, experts and educationists and the will and support of the parents and guardians in particular, along with co-operation and dedication on the part of the various Schools authorities, is what is very much in need if ever this crisis is to be resolved and settled.
Charles Swindoll once said, “…… Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to whatever happens to you”, and with the sudden realization of the present government that some serious investment is necessary on our Health and Education Sector, the two most crucial sectors for any state and society to prosper and grow, it seems the (unfortunate) people of the state can still dare to dream!
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