Impact Of Covid-19 On Educational Sector

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• CBSE cancelled examinations of secondary and higher secondary schools. It has divided the marks’ evaluation process into two components, theory and practical.
• The students who wish to take the CBSE board examination physically can do so, depending on the pandemic situation.
• The usage of digital technology to deliver education has accelerated during COVID-19.Institutions of higher learning have shifted to a mixed learning approach.
• Online teaching may create a digital gap among students since many have limited or no internet access.
• Indian policy must incorporate individuals from varied backgrounds, including distant regions, marginalized and minority groups.

Introduction

The global impact of COVID-19 can be seen in every industry. It harms the Indian and the world education sectors. Around 32 million students could not go to schools or universities, and all educational activities in India were halted. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that change is unavoidable. It has acted as a stimulus for educational institutions to grow and use previously unexplored platforms and techniques.

Classes have been suspended, and exams at various levels have been postponed, causing educational activity to be, disrupted. The admissions procedure took longer than expected. Students lost approximately three months of the whole academic year of 2020-21 due to the continuation of lockdown, thus deteriorating the educational continuity and making it impossible for students to resume school work after such a long break.

The Indian government has adopted a variety of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. On 16th March 2020, the union government announced a nationwide lockdown of all educational institutions. CBSE cancelled examinations of secondary and higher secondary schools. It has divided the marks’ evaluation process into two components, theory and practical. Students, will be assessed on their performance in class 10th, 11th and 12th. Whereas, the CISCE will assess students on their performance for the last six classes.

For students, to continue learning, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has made many arrangements, including online portals and educational channels. Students use popular social media tools like Zoom, Google Meet, Telegram, Youtube live etc., for online teaching and learning during the lockdown. The MHRD's effort is a one-of-a-kind portal that brings together all digital resources for online education. The digital initiatives of MHRD include Diksha, e-Pathshala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources, Swayam, and more.

Positive Impact on Educational Sector

• The usage of digital technology to deliver education has accelerated during COVID-19. Institutions of higher learning have shifted to a mixed learning approach. It urged all teachers and students to learn more about technology.
• The covid has resulted in a significant increase in the use of teleconferencing, virtual meetings, webinars, and e-conferencing.
• People were encouraged to learn and use digital technology, increasing digital literacy.
• Students in online learning can easily manage their time.
• Most students preferred the online distance learning method because it supports self-learning and allows them to learn from various resources.
• Students are getting an opportunity to interact with peers around the world.

Negative Impact on Educational Sector

• Companies delaying student enrollment may also have an impact on student placements. Because of the current circumstances, there is no recruitment in the government sector in India, and fresh graduates fear losing their job offers in the private sector.
• Not all teachers are skilled at it, and not all of them were prepared for the sudden transition from face-to-face to online learning.
• Some educated parents can guide their children, but others may lack the necessary education to teach their children at home.
• Online teaching may create a digital gap among students since many have limited or no internet access. Many students may not afford a computer, laptop, or supporting mobile phone in their homes.

Suggestions

• In today's world, having access to technology and the internet is a must. As a result, digital capabilities and infrastructure must reach remote and poor places.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, India should adopt innovative measures to ensure that all children have continuous access to education.
• Indian policy must incorporate individuals from varied backgrounds, including distant regions, marginalized and minority groups.
• A more in-depth statistical assessment of COVID-19's impact on the Indian education system may be conducted.

Class XII Board Examination

CBSE cancelled all examinations of secondary and higher secondary schools throughout India. It has divided the marks’ evaluation process into two components, theory and practical. Students will be assessed on their performance in class 10th, 11th and 12th. Whereas the CISCE will assess students on their performance for the last six classes. Both the boards informed the Supreme Court that the 12th board examination result would be announced, by 31st July. They have incorporated a dispute mechanism for those students who have any objections regarding their result. The students who wish to take the CBSE board examination physically can do so, depending on the pandemic situation.

The CBSE has activated an online marks linking portal. The schools have to upload marks
obtained by their students. The portal showcases seven sections, including a link for uploading internal assessment marks, practicals, projects, date verification for class 10, class 11, and 12 theory marks. The online portal will automatically update marks obtained by students in class 10th. The system will compute the Class X component (30%), Class XI component (30%) and Class XII component (40%).

Students and academic advisors are concerned that an assessment scheme may result in an unfair basis for college admissions. For many students who start studying more seriously only before the board exams, an average score that takes into account marks from the previous two or three years may not be good news. Although this is a reasonable decision, bright students may be at a disadvantage. To encourage students to balance their time between studying and physical activity, most schools assign difficult papers in Class 11.

Conclusion

COVID-19 has a significant impact on the Indian education industry. Although it has generated numerous obstacles, it has also resulted in various opportunities. To deal with the current COVID-19 issue, the Indian government and several education stakeholders have looked into the prospect of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) by implementing various digital technologies. India is not ready to use digital platforms to bring education to every corner of the country. Students who are not fortunate as their peers would suffer because of the current digital platform mode. However, universities and the Indian government are working tirelessly to find a solution to this problem.

The objective should be to use digital technology to put millions of young Indian students in a better position. Educational institutions must improve their knowledge and information technology infrastructure to be ready for COVID-19-like situations.