Role of education in post-pandemic era

Since the adoption of 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 195 countries including India in 2015, all the signed nations agreed with the UNO that they can change the world for the better by 2030. In fact, the UN summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda replaced the millennium development goals which was signed by 189 countries at the UN’s millennium summit in 2000.

In the present Covid-19-led new social order format, no country other than Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland is able to achieve the declared 17 development goals. All the 17 sustainable global development goals are centred around its 4th underlined fundamental goal, i.e. Quality Education.

Goal 4 in Action (Education):

This primary action plan aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all. Unexpectedly for the last 24 months, many factors including the lockdown of educational institutions, cancellation of assessment, digitalised version of distance learning, non-availability of digital infra-structure etc. stood in the way of accomplishing the fourth goal. Education is the key to prosperity and opens a world of opportunities for everyone.

Targets of Goal 4 in Action (Educational Goal) :

4.1 Free Primary and Secondary Education for all by 2030.

4.2 Equal access to quality Pre-Primary Education.

4.3 Equal access to affordable technical, vocational and higher education.

4.4 Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success.

4.5 Eliminate all discrimination in education.

4.6 Universal literacy and numeracy.

4.7 Education for sustainable development and global citizenship.

All targets have been incorporated in the New Education Policy by the government of India and other countries prior to the advent of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.

To popularise and make governments aware of UN commitment and monitor the progress of the quality education implementation process since 2019, January 24th is observed as World Education Day. "Changing course, Transforming Education" is the theme for this year as announced by UNESCO. The purpose is to strengthen and support the revival of education in the post-pandemic period. Hundreds of countries are showing the positive direction of re-opening of schools and colleges. It highlights the need for hope and works through education which upholds the need to meet the demand of the students through online or hybrid teaching-learning process.

Virtual education

Covid-19 Pandemic has made all the countries around the world adopt distance mode of teaching and learning. Classes are conducted online, assessments are effected through digital formats, assignments and projects are given and collected for assessment online. The emergence of such practices is the trendsetter for the new world order. Extension of teaching beyond school classrooms and the transformation of home learning space etc. have made revolutionary changes in thought, action, attitudes and values concerns of the people’s mindset, particularly among students and parents.

Free but effective online tools are designed and made available to pupils across the continents nowadays. Byju’s Think and Learn app from India, Torrent classroom K-12 online school app in Wuhan (China), Lark’s Byte Dance from Singapore, Alibaba’s distance learning solution Ding Talk and Khan Academy are a few examples. Many developing countries including Indian states have launched hundreds of Radio and TV channels for extending education during the pandemic period.

Future of learning

All of a sudden the educational service providers have become digital mode without much preparation, training or planning. But for the last 20–22 months all stakeholders learnt or developed a mindset about the future course of education. The integration of IT, internet, cloud, AI, data science and its collaboration in education will be further accelerated and hybrid education eventually becomes the fundamental component of future education.

(The writer is the Principal of Sharada Residential School, Udupi, Karnataka)