Letter to Editor
Change is the only constant phenomenon ever existent in the world. It is permanent and makes the weakest extinct and strongest prominent. Technology for the layman's understanding has attained it's zenith and his mind cannot decipher any further advancement. Advance nations have made maximum use of the brain drain of developing nations by cleverly manipulating policies making them lucrative enough for them to serve ,settle, and streamline their economies. Keeping in mind this scenario, a natural calamity would have a recessive effect on the developed countries given their capability to deal with emergent issues. Covid-19, an unforeseen pandemic could never have been predicted. But the methodologies to control, fight, and defeat the gigantic contagion reflect the strength of a nation. The developing country like India has to strive really hard to cope with the effects of the pandemic which has the health system to crumble. Parents who have been educating their children for the last six or seven months are now desperately praying for the pandemic to settle so that their wards can attend their respective institutions. Online classes a substitute for regular schooling have picked up pace with its pros and cons. The majority opines online learning a formative way to seek knowledge, provided it is used effectively and efficiently. Web learning provides a vast platform to keep oneself abreast of the research work being done in different fields. But this is true for higher degrees; the lower grades may get confused with humongous materials available online. Higher Secondary School Class and Secondary School Class students need focused lectures with sifted information duly presented by deftly trained teachers. Such is the vulnerable stage of these youngsters that they get easily deluded. Instead of attending online classes the majority end up with excessive usage of social applications. Children up to the grade 8 need constant parental supervision and their attention span is so flimsy that the teacher feels helpless to exert her full control over the class .In such a scenario it is extremely difficult to supervise the class in its true spirit and have the maximum output.The imeding factors of online learning include the irregular supply of electricity in many areas of the country ,disrupted internet connection along with its affordability, 2G internet service in Jammu-Kashmir since August 5,2019 instead of 4G and lack of expert teachers who can handle online classes efficiently and seriousness of the students who really want to learn despite multiple distractions.Challenges which teachers face in the present scenario are
1) To make lectures captivating so that the learners stay glued to the screen and learn positively
2) To devise ways to control the class effectively without any disruption and misbehaviour on the part of the students
3) To have the maximum output from the students by devising the test which primarily address the reasoning ability of the students.
Comparatively the challenges which the learners face in online classes include :
1) To keep themselves accustomed which to the new way of attending the class without the physical presence and command and control of the teacher.
2) To inflict self discipline to keep themselves focused to the objective of the lesson without being allowed to multifarious distractions in the form of social media and online games.
In a nutshell despite all odds the smartest and the most convenient alternative available to carry on the process of education can be none other than online learning. Where Covid-19 has closed so many corridors ,it has opened some new ones simultaneously. Now the majority of parents and teachers have developed an understanding of the dynamics of online learning and with the passage of time, things will get better as the loopholes in every system can be overcome by deft handling and smart policymaking .The education sector though neglected will definitely come up with new horizons to explore and the educationists will get get trained to cope up with the challenges of the modern world.
Mool Raj
