Page 5 - Spectrum Aug 2020 - AglaSem Magazine

FOREWORD

t was the morning of Holi, and of 1.36 billion people is facing an THE ANSWERS
like every year, I was peeking unprecedented challenge - to survive, India is an adaptive nation. We are
from behind my curtains to check and emerge uncrushed, on the other known problem solvers. So, it was not
whether my friendly neighbors side of the storm. much of a surprise to see the educa-
Iin the posh society of Gurgaon tion system quickly trying to adapt
(sorry, Gurugram) were rolling around EDUCATION and adopt technology to answer the
in muddy waters already. Though Lockdown was imposed from 24th questions.
the distant sounds of rang barse had March. A necessary action to pinch
been playing since 9 am, I was not the growth of the virus, the first Schools started using online classes.
surprised to see that this year, the edition of lockdown gave way to So did colleges. Paper checking of
celebrations were not as much in the second, then third, then fourth. board exams was outlined to suit
full swing as last year. As opposed Schools and colleges were shut, the circumstances. And by mid-May,
to a ground full of over 200 people students in hostels were sent back details of datesheets for the delayed
surrounded by colorful puddles, open to their homes. Board exams were board exams also started coming.
beer bottles, sweets aplenty that cancelled. But, this is not the happy ending.
I witnessed in 2019, today, only a
CHALLENGES
THE
few groups of people could be seen In the beginning, students cheered THE CHALLENGES
playing only with dry gulaal, that too the delay in board exams, deferment To “take education out of brick and
rather coyly. After all, people were of annual exams, and shutdown of mortar classrooms” is one of the
taking the advisories on the novel schools and colleges. No crime there. visions of Aglasem. The goal is to
coronavirus seriously. A child after all finds no joy in exams, ensure that education is not re-
and has his own complaints about
However that was not the larger the general education system. So for stricted to schools and colleges - that
picture. During a conversation with many, it was just an extended vaca- everyone, wherever they are, should
a colleague 2 days later, he bra- tion. get access to it. And this can be pos-
zenly confirmed that he did not give sible through technology.
a damn about the virus. After all When little Chintu was asked by And the times of COVID-19 have
“beemar to padhte rehte hai, holi toh a smartly dressed news reporter shown just how important a role tech-
saal me ek hi baar aati hai” (we keep “Aapko Coronavirus ke baare me kya nology plays in connecting people
falling ill, but Holi comes only once a pata hai?” (what do you know about and enabling solutions. However now
year). True that. coronavirus), he wasted no breath in that the system is falling back upon
answering “Jaise diwali, dussehra bade
The novel coronavirus though, seems bade festivals hote hai India me, waise online education as the sole resource,
to have taken rather an offense to hi coronavirus ek bahut bada tyohaar it appears that this plan is not without
that and decided to well make its hai, jiske liye hume bahut saari chhutti its flaws.
point. This less than 100 nm sized mili hai.” (just like diwali, dussehra Moreover, the education system is not
virus has wreaked havoc globally: are big festivals in India, similarly only about imparting education. For
More than 4.6 M confirmed cases coronavirus is a big festival for which many, school is a source of satisfying
have been reported all over the we are getting lots of holidays!) their hunger via the mid-day meal.
world, with more than 310K deaths. Going to schools and colleges means
The figures rise as you read this. However the happiness turned to interacting with peers, a seamless
confusion, then fear and alarm. flow of thoughts and brainstorming.
IN INDIA Ruchika, mother of young Puneet said
mid- April “When will classes begin? All stakeholders involved - stu-
The first case of the novel coronavirus My son will fall behind if schools do dents, teachers, professors, parents,
was first reported in Wuhan, China, in not open soon!”. Gayathri Reddy, principals, vice chancellors, deans,
December 2019. It was then on 30th another concerned parent voiced educationists, and politicians - are
January 2020 that India reported its “My daughter has consistently been a actively working on identifying the
first case. Hours later on the same topper in her class. She just appeared challenges in the field of education in
day, WHO declared the novel Corona- for her class 12 board exams and was a COVID-19 / post COVID-19 world,
virus to be a global emergency. looking forward to college admissions. planning ahead for viable solutions,
Today India has the 4th highest We are worried how that will happen and implementing them at a break-
number of confirmed cases, having now”. neck speed.
surpassed the UK. While efforts are in
full force from all fronts, the country LET US TAKE A WALK DOWN THIS ROAD

SPECTRUM AUG 2020 5