Select Page

There is no “going back” to old schooling and we need to accept this

There is no “going back” to old schooling and we need to accept this

By Prateek Khare.

With the re-opening of schools around the country, there are a lot of questions in the minds of each and every stakeholder of the education sector, be it teachers, parents, the students or even the management, but all of those converge to one big question, “How ready are we?”

How ready are we to get back to everything “old school”, in this case literally. With the onset of the Corona virus and the lockdowns that followed since the end of March this year, every industry was hit and suffered badly. Some suffered more than others and one of those was the

education sector because no one had a perfectly stable alternative ready to replace the traditional learning, meaning the schools, colleges and universities were left with no other option than to just shut off completely.

Some schools and institutions around the world tried to implement different forms of interaction and means to reach the learners such as the use of WhatsApp, newspapers, radio shows and such, but all of these are temporary solutions for a small section of learning and have their own challenges associated.

Everyone would agree that the Corona virus has actually shifted us a pace ahead into digitisation and there is no such thing as “going back” after this. The changes that were bought and adapted in all the work environments and sectors are here to stay and to improve and the education sector is no different.

We are moving to an era where e-learning platforms will become a household-accepted concept, but although it looks very attractive with all the shimmer attached to it, it does bring out the issue of reach and reveals the socio-economic gap in the country.

People in the capital and a handful of major towns are living a life so distant from those outside with no access to the basics requirements. That brings another question to my mind: – how much are we as individuals and citizens giving back and doing to eradicate these problems and help the country and its people to attain at least the basics.

There is something that I always say and keep close to my heart, “You have no right to ask others what they have done for you before you have done your part.” Now many would argue that if we don’t have anything how could we give to someone else, but I believe they fail to understand that it’s not always about materialistic things; you don’t always have to give something with monetary value to be able to ask for your right, It starts from your home.

Similarly, asking for your basic rights are not wrong, but in addition you must see what have you done to help others get those basic rights: – food, water, shelter, electricity, education. Have you taken any initiative so far, and no, standing in front of government offices and protesting doesn’t count.

The world will move faster and faster every day, we’ve all heard the quote, “Time and Tide wait for nobody.” It is our responsibility as people and citizens to make sure we move with the pace.


Prateek Khare is an international speaker who has addressed many youth audiences across the world on topics such as Online and E-marketing, Business Coaching and Higher Education. He is the Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations for Edudite Consultancy Pvt. Ltd., a firm operating out of India with offices in multiple countries including Namibia, providing higher education counselling and consultancy to educational institutions and students.


 

About The Author

Guest Contributor

A Guest Contributor is any of a number of experts who contribute articles and columns under their own respective names. They are regarded as authorities in their disciplines, and their work is usually published with limited editing only. They may also contribute to other publications. - Ed.