Impact of Covid-19 on Education System in India

Abstract

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted significantly in human life. The purpose of study is to investigate the impact of coronavirus on Indian education system. As coronavirus spread across the whole world, due to this pandemic situation and lockdown, has forced education sector to close temporarily. The education system in India has shut down, due to spreading of coronavirus among students and restricting moment of students and social distancing. All over the world, in many countries closing of school, colleges, universities and cancelling of classes, due to coronavirus leads to uncertainty and anxiety.

According to UNESCO, all over the world 157 crore students are impacted by shut down of education system due to corona virus. According to survey on impact of higher education in India, Ministry of Human Resource Development observed 993 universities, 39931 Colleges and 10725 Stand Alone Institutions which contribute in expanding higher education and the student enrolments density of India in education is nearly 37.4 million every year is affected. The government of India spends 4.6 percent of its GDP on education. The UNESCO has surveyed on education system of India observed that in both schools and colleges 32 crores students are affected in India.

The structure of learning, teaching assessment and schooling, was affected by the shut of education system. Indian government has come up with new idea called e-learning. E-learning is an interesting, interactive and alternative learning as compared to classroom teaching. Digital education is the only alternative solution for classroom learning, which minimizes the chances of spreading of coronavirus to students. The impact of Indian education system aims to understand the challenges and opportunities of coronavirus.

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Key Words: Coronavirus, education system, E-learning, Digital education, Students, Learning

Introduction

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a deadly disease. The whole world is fighting against coronavirus, being declared pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) and also battling against the economies across the globe because of lockdown. Lockdown is implemented in India to save citizens from COVID-19. Due to lockdown Indian economy is severely affected and not only economy, also the education system has affected by the entry of deadly disease coronavirus. Government of India has shut down education system temporarily from preventing the spread of coronavirus among the students. Both schools and colleges of India come up with new alternative solution of online classes. Online Classes has more challenges of network issues, lack of training, lack of interest, lack of awareness, less attendance, lack of interaction, lack of connectivity, lack of personal touch and implementation of online classes in villages, remote areas are difficult. Indian education system is facing more difficulties in adoption of online classes, due to sudden implementation. This pandemic situation in Indian education system cancelled many entrance exam, competitive exam, schools and college admission, board exams.

Objective of the research

• To understand what is COVID-19? And how it affects the Indian education sector.
• To analyze the COVID-19 challenges on education system
• To analyze COVID-19 opportunity on education system

What is Covid-19? How it Affects the Indian Education System?

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a deadly disease. Coronavirus is identified in 2019.

• CO – Corona
• VI – Virus
• D – Disease

The COVID-19 is a new virus linked to the family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Common Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Cold
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or Breathing difficulties

The COVID-19 is transmitted through coughing and sneezing direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person. There is no vaccine currently available for coronavirus. This COVID-19 can be easily attack children’s.

Government of India prevents public health measures by:

• Staying home
• Covering mouth and nose with mask
• Washing hands often with soap and water.
• Social distancing

How it affects the Indian education system?

In India, education system is closed temporarily to preventing spread of coronavirus, due to closure of both schools and colleges, 32 Crore students are affected. Classroom learning is converted into online classes. Online classes are implemented suddenly due to shut down of education system in India.

Online Class is affected by these factors:

• Network issues
• Lack of training
• Lack of interest
• Lack of awareness
• Less attendance
• Lack of interaction
• Lack of connectivity
• Lack of personal touch

Implementation of online classes in villages, remote areas are difficult.

Covid-19 Challenges to Indian Education System

Lockdown changed the perspective of schools and college learning system. As traditional Indian Class room learning are converted to digital learning suddenly, due to coronavirus and shutdown of temporary education system in India, both students and educational institution faces difficulties to adopt digital learning is the most common challenge faced. Also the quality content is major common challenging i.e. learning through online class room should reach the students with full quality learning and clear understanding of concepts.

The new adoption of this digital technology was reluctant for students and teachers. This new technology faces many competitive edges in digital learning. Network issue and lack of concentration in online classes rapidly decrease the interest in learning of an individual and also decreases the effectiveness of learning. Some private and government school and colleges are not able to implement basic needs of digital learning. Online class has a huge gap between teachers and students and this causes lack of interaction in an individual. The main challenge of digital learning in India is huge difference between in urban and rural schools. Rural schools should be improved by government by giving proper training to pursue education through online.

Most of the parents cannot afford internet connection for their children to study. Migration of people from one place to another due to pandemic situation sometimes causes loss of education. Other than online classroom students cannot attend coaching class for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, CAT etc. India has ranked 129th out of 180 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) as per UNDP. School Education GER is approximately 74% and for Higher education GER is 26.5% for the year 2018-19, due to the COVID-19 India faces lot of pressure on education system. India has to improve lot in online education system by developing more effective online leanings, new ideas and productive, improving professional skills through assessing online and improvement of quality of online education. Government of India should take steps in improving education system and the challenges faced in online classes.

Covid-19 Opportunities to Indian Education System

Coronavirus has given a great opportunity to Indian education system to improve and develop more and more. Any change can disruptively bring some new opportunities that will transform the education system to worldwide. This opportunity gives India to reform the education sector to worldwide. This pandemic situation has taken India to next advanced level of education through online classes. Proper development of basic needs of online classes can be implemented and developed all over India. Current development in education system changes the structure, method, concepts and way of learning with seamless integrating with digital learning modes and this builds a unified learning system.

This method gives cost effective for both school and colleges. Different e-learning platforms can be introduced. Government of India can develop rural schools and colleges by developing basic needs of digital learning. Through this online education system government schools and colleges can be developed. Schools and colleges will change their model of learning. This opportunity will demand teachers to go through some training and change themselves to the level that would be required for digital learning. Distance learning has given many opportunities to teach differently and learn differently, self-learning is encouraged, providing more and more opportunities to learn from the diverse resources. This change gives great opportunity for schools and colleges, to improve and develop the quality of the learning material which is used in the teaching and learning process. Digital learning will be the new format of learning. There is lot of requirement needed to find new ways to design, develop and deliver quality of learning content.

Learning management systems will bring more openness and transparency in education system. A large number of educational trainings, classes, meetings, seminars, assessment and conferences will be handled through online. This opportunity gives possibility to new form of business model in future. This education system is forcing teachers to reinvent their roles and responsibility by transferring information to enabling learning system. Government of India can allocate funds for digital education system. The Ministry of Indian education is planning to develop high quality E-learning application. By this development of application for digital online education system parents or guardians are responsible to play a major role in educating their children. Google Classroom is a free web service given by Google, where schools and colleges can use to online education. Digital learning has many like digital learning has no physical boundaries.

Conclusion

Thus this paper provides an overview of impact of COVID-19 on education system of India. The education system of India due to lockdown is going to cause major interruption in students learning. As a result, Indian education system converted to next advanced level of education. Government of India should plan according to develop the digital platform. By this development government schools can make use of TV for classes which will be cost effective and direct reach to economically back students and also geographically reachable. The coronavirus pandemic has changed education system of India. New solutions for education could bring more ideas, innovation and technological development. This new solution can widen equality gaps of education.

References

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