Covid Hazard

Md Bayazid Khan :
School closures have been seen as a common tool in the battle against COVID-19. Therefore, to reduce the morbidity and slow the spread of COVID-19 most governments compelled to temporarily close educational institutions as preventive measures. This is because of reviewing evidences from previous outbreaks of infectious diseases shown that transmission of an outbreak may be delayed by closing educational institutions.
Suspension of face-to-face teaching at schools has led to concerns about consequences for students’ learning. The pandemic has affected learning of more than 91% of students worldwide due to closure of educational institutions. Bangladesh has also no exception. Both primary and secondary schools closure bring massive loss to students’ learning as well as discrimination to ensure inclusive learning.
The crisis associated to school closure has stimulated innovation within the education system in Bangladesh although has exposed many inequities and inadequacies too. Considering virtual platforms for learning as critical lifeline for education during the pandemic, primary and secondary schools across the country began conducting classes via video-telephony such as Google Meet and Zoom. In addition, keeping students in the learning process utilizing the opportunity of digital Bangladesh, the government has been introducing remote learning through television, radio, mobile phones and Internet (online platforms) at primary and secondary tiers of education. But majority of students have no access to concerned digital devices for using aforesaid alternatives sources of learning.
Considering massive number of students who don’t have digital facilities, the government has taken offline initiatives for ensuring their learning too. Initiatives like submission of assignments by parents/guardians at secondary tier and supplying uniform lesson plan wise activity sheets to students by visiting homes or suitable place convenient to neighbourhood students at primary tier etc are instances of government commitment to ensure inclusive learning. But success of these offline initiatives depends mostly on commitment and interest to accept new initiatives by teachers.
Imparting online classes by teachers using Google Meet/Zoom may be continued during pandemic like disasters as above mentioned virtual platforms proved user friendly and customize to both teachers and students. Regarding this, both teachers and students should have regular practice on using virtual platforms for conducting and receiving online classes respectively. Schools may arrange online teaching for each and every class minimum once in a month and quarterly meeting with parents using Google Meet or other virtual platforms as demonstration or practice. Moreover, initiatives should be taken so that all students may have digital devices for ensuring access to online learning.
Parents may be encouraged to use smart phone/digital devices ensuring the lowest price of digital devices only for them. For the sake of developing tomorrow’s generation as human resources, the government may consider to provide smart mobile phone/Tab to students of poor families.
Considering number of teachers and households, school catchment area may be divided into some sub-educational areas and each sub-educational area may be brought under supervision by a teacher regards to keep students in learning process. Regarding this “Home and Neighbourhood Schooling” may be introduced during pandemic as offline initiatives to ensure inclusive learning. “Home schooling” for students having supportive learning environment at home and “Neighbourhood Schooling” for underprivileged students or first generation learners where parents/knowledgeable persons and volunteer teachers (Retired teachers, Local High School/College students) respectively act as facilitators/instructors under the supervision of responsible Sub- education Area School Teacher (SAST). Facilitators/instructors of above mentioned schooling systems may use self-study learning supportive pack (may develop), textbooks and broadcasted lessons through television and radio as well as recorded teaching-learning contents. Premier task of SAST will be supervising Home/Neighbourhood Schooling regards to keep students in learning.
Considering intensity of infection and consultation with virologists, experts and concerned authorities, there should have the provision of school reopening at zero or less infected areas. In that case maintaining social distance and protocols must be ensured in schools. Schools with huge number of students may consider running of teaching-learning activities for only one class once in a week. Ensuring of students’ short time stay in schools, imparting teaching of core subjects for four or five days and other subjects for one or two days may be considered.
The learning loss due to the pandemic is indisputable. Learning losses cause forgetting what students had learnt earlier and losing foundational abilities such as reading with understanding and performing four basic operations in mathematics, which are the basis of further learning. Students will be pushed towards more complex learning abilities of the new class with the losses. So, undergone learning losses because of school closure can never be compensated fully. Rather teachers can take remedial measures to minimize losses that may useful for next class learning after re-opening of schools. This will require teachers’ commitment and extra efforts that may ignite heaps of hope among students and parents.

(The writer works for primary education in Bangladesh. Email: auparbayazidkhan@gmail.com)