We Have Too Many High Sounding Words
It is time we use effective, minimally technology-based, and inclusive technology with learning materials to teach optimally and ensure access to children.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be the biggest tragedy of the century in terms of the education system of a country. During this time, schools in countries around the world have also been closed for a long time. The figures show that students have gone through the longest lockdown. Providing education, nurturing, and care during school and early childhood centers not only benefits children, but also provides them with a place to learn to become more social.
They provide nutritious food, social and psychological support, and social security to the poor, the disadvantaged, and the vulnerable. Obviously, closed schools are not only depriving children of the opportunity to study, learn and get a formal education, but they can never compensate for the loss caused by children and young people. According to a report, after the first wave of Corona, 60% of school-going children in rural areas of India were expected to drop out of education in the absence of proper support from the concerned authorities. When online learning was introduced at the start of the pandemic, less than 15% of rural households had internet access; 96% of households belonging to poorer sections of society and the tribal communities did not have a computer.
In a survey, over 80% of parents who educate their children in government schools and 60% of parents who teach their children in private schools said that during the epidemic, children did not study properly. The constant closure of everything, including education, sports, entertainment, and social interaction, as well as the surrounding fearful atmosphere, resulted in psychological trauma. Those who were already weak lost their psychological support. They felt a natural lack of learning in the classroom and lost opportunities to learn.
According to a survey by a reputed university, compared to last year, 92% of children have lost the ability to speak a particular language. According to an estimate, India will have to suffer a loss of $400 billion in future earnings due to school lockdown. Education has always struggled with the lack of the required budget, even when the education system was most in need of additional COVID packages and help during the pandemic. The Center for Early Childhood Care and Education and the crèche were closed indefinitely until normalcy returned. But things are coming back, and with the latest introduction of three months’ training for the new students, it is the right step for their overall development.
Clearly, now we need to make a serious decision about unlocking education for the sake of our children’s future. It is time we understood our constitutional responsibilities towards children throughout the globe. We need to protect their rights and make them accountable by giving them the right to an education.
Now is the time to make the public education system better and stronger and to bring the country out of this hour of crisis by realizing the right of the next generation to education. Closed schools are not only depriving children of the opportunity to study, learn and pursue formal education, but the loss caused by children and youth will probably never be compensated.
In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary that priority be given to bringing all children back to school for physical and offline education, either wholly or partially, across the country. Our policymakers should ensure that the reopening of schools is safe and inclusive. Take all kinds of safety measures to protect the health of children, teachers, as well as parents, guardians, and communities. For the physical, mental health, and psychosocial well-being of the students, they must be adequately assisted. Community mechanisms should be activated to protect those who are at risk, and measures should be taken to protect children from all forms of violence, including exploitation, child labor, and trafficking. In this time of crisis, children should get encouragement for education by taking initiatives to create an effective environment for teaching and assessing the learning of the students.
We should see how to use effective and minimally technology-based and, when necessary, inclusive technology with learning materials to teach optimally and ensure access to children. Instead of trusting and encouraging private or non-government institutions, corporate houses, and public-private partnerships in education, the government should strengthen the public education system by increasing its capacity and ensuring that the right to education is fully implemented at the grassroots level. Ensure implementation. As per the norms of the "Right to Education Act", immediate appointment of quality, trained, full-time and regular salaried teachers should be ensured to fill all the posts of teachers lying vacant in large numbers.
We should also ensure that they pay pending salaries and allowances of teachers with immediate effect. They should ban the privatization and commercialization of education in any form. We should make strong efforts for educational equality, keeping in mind the growing inequality in education because of the digital divide and the existing inequalities at social, economic, gender, and other levels.
Protect constitutional rights by developing a clear strategy to meet the educational needs of children from poor and marginalized groups, including children from poorer classes and those with disabilities, girls, children of migrant laborers, and a new category of children orphaned by COVID-19 so that they can get the basic right to education.
To reopen schools, teachers and other education workers should receive training and assistance, and their well-being, health, and financial security should be ensured. This is the time we reopen schools that were merged or closed in the name of rationalization in previous years. New schools should be opened as per the need so that small groups of children can be taught smoothly with a strict physical distancing protocol.
"We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them"
-Abigail Adams
Stop the closure of schools. Private schools should not increase fees during the pandemic. A comprehensive regulatory framework should be in place and implemented strictly to prevent overcharging, exploitation to stop the increased dropout of children from private schools.
Our government should increase the budgetary allocation to at least 6% of GDP to ensure continuity of education for all children, especially those from marginalized groups. Develop a long-term policy of education in emergencies to ensure preparedness for future crises. We should start more dialogues in forums with our lawmakers on the challenging situation of children’s education during the Corona period and on the right to education in the challenges of children’s schooling and COVID-19.
At this program, representatives of various networks and social organizations, including state coordinators and representatives of the RTE Forum, educationists, intellectuals, teachers, and grassroots workers from different parts of the country, should take part regularly.
A comprehensive regulatory framework should be in place to prevent the overcharging, exploitation, and dropouts of children by private schools. It is time we increased the budgetary allocation to at least 6% of GDP to ensure continuity of education for all children, especially those from marginalized groups. Develop a long-term policy of education in emergencies to ensure preparedness for future crises.
We strongly need our representatives to start networks and social organizations, including state coordinators and representatives of the RTE Forum, educationists, intellectuals, teachers, and grassroots workers from different parts of the country to take part and give their suggestions to strengthen this program.
In view of the 13-point demands put forward by the forum, the participants lamented that the national budget for education was drastically reduced in the year 2021 when there was an urgent need for additional financial support to strengthen the education system. This is a matter of deep concern about the possibility of 65% of children in rural areas of India missing out on education in the event of the unavailability of additional help after the first wave of Corona.
During the program, state representatives of the right to education forum from across the country and representatives of various social organizations also expressed their opinions and demanded to stop the increasing privatization and commercialization of education. We all feel that the basic concept of quality, inclusive education for all, and the holistic development of children is on the verge of collapse today if we don’t act to save it now.
In such a situation, it is important to meet the educational needs of the poorest and weakest sections and marginalized groups, including girls, the disabled, deprived classes, and a new category of children orphaned because of COVID-19 and children of migrant laborers, and to provide them with formal education and schools. There is an immediate need to plan and execute a clear strategy to keep people engaged. We should understand that the need for children’s education in disaster-prone and difficult areas in poor condition is greater than ever before and needs more funding.
This danger is even more serious during the COVID-19 epidemic. We need a long-term policy on education in case of any such crisis in the future.
I see this as an indictment on relying on the governments to control every aspect of our lives. Here in my country the children who are homeschooled perform so much better than children at public schools.
There needs to be a push for more localized community initiatives that are ran by local people, not government. This includes things from education to food access and such. Time after time reliance on governments fails and many are left worse than before or perhaps even homeless or dead.
The question is if neighbors can learn to begin caring for one another again enough to take these issues onto their own shoulders for their own sake and the childrens.
So true! But will it ever happen? We are involved in a retrace that will never let us choose any right path!
One can only be responsible for their burden. Begin setting the example, and as opportunity presents itself during this people will grow curious, and perhaps a small handful of those people will see the benefits and wish to join in the endeavors.