Covid-19's Impact on our Education

 

            Now, we are living through one of the greatest threats in our lifetime. Coronavirus disease or Covid-19 affected people regardless of nationality, level of education, income or gender. It also affected our education. As of March 28, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing more than 1.6 billion children and youth to be out of school in 161 countries. This is close to 80% of the worlds enrolled students.This pandemic has the potential to worsen the amount of children who cannot read and understand at the age of 10, if we do not act fast.

            Losses in learning, increased dropout rates and children missing their most important meal of the day, these are some of the immediate impact of crisis on our children and youth. Moreover, most countries have very unequal education systems, and these negative impacts will be felt disproportionately by poor children. Just like here in the Philippines. As the public health crisis intensified, the traditional June opening of classes was moved to August but  Duterte finally directed DepEd to prepare for an October opening of classes. Meanwhile, many colleges and universities, which are mostly privately owned, have started classes despite of the fear that many students from poor families will be left behind. Many students might forced to dropout because their parents lost jobs and livelihood during this pandemic. Many children doesn't have enough equipments for studying like desk, internet connection, laptop or supportive parents. Some groups argued that it might be better to adopt an “academic freeze” instead of allowing schools to operate while the pandemic is still happening. But this controversial proposal was also rejected since it might do more harm to young people whose right to education will be denied to them.

            While figthing this pandemic, education system must also thinking different ways or programs to recover stronger, with a renewed sense of responsibility and better understanding assuring that all children have the same chances for a quality education.

References:

https://grattan.edu.au/events/international-webinar-event-school-education-in-the-age-of-covid-19/

https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/educational-challenges-and-opportunities-covid-19-pandemic

https://thediplomat.com/2020/08/are-schools-in-the-philippines-ready-to-open-in-a-pandemic/