The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the interconnected nature of our world – and that no one is safe until everyone is safe.  At this censorious juncture, people around the world are displaying the acts of humanity and inspiring hope for a better future. COVID-19 symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The illness also causes lung lesions and pneumonia. Milder cases may resemble the flu or a bad cold, making detection difficult.

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two. We have now reached the tragic milestone of twelve million deaths, and the human family is suffering under an almost insufferable burden of loss.

We are living amidst what is potentially one of the greatest menaces in our lifetime to educational institutions, a gigantic educational crisis. But the schools in the country have prepared to move to online teaching, although with a lot of effort and challenges for the teachers and parents. The schools have started using the online tools to assure that lesson plans, videos, tutorials, and other resources are amply used to fill the silos of pupils experiencing in the classroom.

Going to school is not only important about learning Mathematics and Science, but also about social relationships and peer-to-peer interactions. It is about learning to be a citizen and developing social skills. That is why it is important to stay connected with school by any means necessary. This is also a time for all the students to develop socio-emotional skills and learn more about how to pitch in to the society as a citizen. The role of parents and family, which has always been extremely important, is critical in this task. The increase of teachers’ digital skills and more involvement of parents in their children’s education process would surely buttress the education system of the country.

The challenge today is to reduce as much as possible the negative impact this pandemic will have on learning and schooling and build on this escapade to get back on a path of faster amelioration.

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

By Dinakrushna Mishra,
HOD (English)

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