Safe Education During COVID

Now that the lockdown has been lifted, businesses have reopened, and people are back on the streets. All sectors of the economy are fast peddling their way to regain their footing, and one such industry is the educational one. Reopening schools is proving to be a tricky ‘next step’ in getting back on track, with a division in opinion, where some parents want on-campus schooling to resume, others wish to continue with online education.

To make matters simple for schools, students and parents on finalizing a decision that satisfies all involved parties, here are a few pros and cons on both (on-campus and online) means of education.

Online Education/Off-campus Education

Pros:

• Parents can keep an eye on their kids, making sure they are paying attention and learning.
• Parents are more involved in the learning experience of their child. Knowing what lessons are learnt and what homework is assigned.
• Students study in the comfort of their homes with all educational resources available on site.
• More responsibility upon the student to make an effort to learn on their own.
• Security and safety of children under the supervision of parents and family.

Cons:

• Lack of any social interactions outside of the family circle.
• In the case of kindergarten children that is the younger age group, paying attention in a home environment is difficult as the kids are restless with the number of distractions around them.
• Lack of authority held by the teacher in the eyes of the student with the parents around.
• Kindergarten students do not all have live online classes; the majority of the time, teachers send pre-recorded videos to parents for students to watch and learn.

On Campus Education

Pros:

• Healthy exposure to social interactions.
• The student does not miss out on the whole on-campus education experience. (a wholesome experience that is necessary for an individual’s mental, personal and psychological growth).
• Students are more active.
• A welcome change from being cooped up at home all the time.
• Individual attention is given towards every student.
• Ease in Student-Teacher interactions.

Cons:

• Risk of children falling sick.
• Children are not adhering to preventive instructions and procedures implemented in school.
• Difficulty in getting back on track with in-person education. Adjusting to studying away from home.

The above pros and cons analysis is compiled solely for decision-making purposes for parents and school authorities alike. Therefore it must be noted that several precautionary measures are being taken if not already put in place by concerned authorities to ensure the safety of all student bodies.

Another fact that needs to be highlighted is that of the COVID case count in children across the globe. Statistics have shown that the virus does not discriminate in terms of gender or age. However, relatively few cases have been reported among children so far. The final decision after thorough analysis depends on the mutual consensus of parents and authorities regarding the well being of children.

#BacktoSchool! #StaySafe!