Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity
— Aristotle (384-322 BC), Greek philosopher
With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting education, it is no more an ornament and neither is it a refuge. It is the subject of anguished public debate and private concern. While the governments, school administrators, teachers and parents ponder over the disrupted education system, the media is not far behind in monitoring the educational scene with facts, analysis and advice. But first, the facts: The Delhi-based weekly, Outlook, has carried an insightful article titled The Textbooks Do Not Tell Us… by Manika Sharma, Director, The Shri Ram Schools.
Here are excerpts from its concluding paras: Learning management systems (LMS) help teachers deliver online lessons, share reading materials and grade assignments. These platforms can streamline much of the work for teachers and assist with tracking student progress and connect with parents. Virtual Reality (VR), which creates an immersive 3D environment that a user can explore, and Augmented Reality (AR), which super-imposes digital elements such as visuals, sounds and text on to a user’s surroundings, are both here to stay. The pandemic that has ravaged the world for more than a year has particularly been an immense challenge for education.
Yet, it may become a transformative watershed event to build more equitable and resilient education systems of and for the future. All stakeholders need to supportively collaborate because reforming our education system and reimagining learning can wait no more. It is time for us to embrace change and not let resistance stand in the way of inevitable progress.
As John Lewis said: If not now, then when? If not us, then who? It is apt to conclude with Shakespeare’s words from As You Like It. Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head…
