The Effects of COVID-19 on the Global Educational System

The education sector is not immune to the effects of the world-stopping pandemic. Although the world has opened up, things will not return to the way they were before the pandemic.

People now have a much different perspective on education and the need for it. Also, learning methods have tilted more towards e-learning tools and essay writer online as people realize that they offer more comfort and allow you to learn at your pace.

This article explains the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on the educational sector around the world.

Positive Impacts of COVID-19 on the Educational System

While much focus has been on the negatives of COVID-19, we can also look at the positive impacts of the pandemic on the educational sector.

Relevant Skills Gained

The pandemic has helped expose students to career-relevant skills outside the school framework and has led to widespread adoption and monetization of remote skills. These skills include digital marketing, copywriting, video and audio editing, and web development. 

Increased Convenience

Before the pandemic, sick students had to skip school entirely, missing out on important school activities and quizzes. But the shift to online learning has made it possible to participate in classes, even from a sickbed.

As we gradually shift back to the way things were pre-pandemic, people will now find EdTech tools to stay in touch with classroom activities.

A Shift in Priorities

Before the pandemic, most parents and guardians focused on their kids’ academic performances without paying attention to mental health and emotional needs. The pandemic and enforced cohabitation has helped parents get to know their children better and learn a lot more about their interests and needs in general.

Similarly, the pandemic has helped kids bond with their mates and build specific conversational and debating skills. In the long term, these valuable skills will help them progress both professionally and academically.

Improved Curriculum

Due to the eye-opening challenges of the pandemic, educators have seen the need to equip their students with critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, which will be helpful alongside their academic knowledge.

Parents and educators have also realized that these skills are essential and valuable in today’s evolving world and the future.

As a result, schools have now expanded their curriculum to include subjects like survival training. This change in approach will prepare students for unforeseen circumstances moving forward.

Negative Impacts of COVID-19 on the Educational System

Despite the positives from the pandemic in the educational sector, it’s undeniable that there have been negative impacts too. Below are some of the biggest problems that have plagued the educational sector for the past year.

Student Disenfranchisement

Remote learning requires gadgets such as computers, tablets, and smartphones to participate in the learning process. Some students cannot afford these gadgets, which puts them at risk of falling behind the rest of the class.

Also, students residing in countries where internet subscription costs a fortune may have to discontinue their online education. And by the time they resume studies, they will need to cover a lot of ground.

More so, the drop-out rates have also increased in the past year, and most of these can be attributed to a lack of access to learning tools.

Absence of Human Interaction

COVID-19 is still a global problem, and as such, one of the new realities of the education sector is the absence of physical human interaction. Activities like learning, teamwork, and conflict resolution are more impactful in person. And since people are far away from each other, coordinating these activities becomes a challenge.

Moreover, students will think they have excellent communication skills typing behind a keyboard till they have to speak to people in person — this is far from reality. This lack of human interaction can have long-term effects on students’ interpersonal skills in the long run if not appropriately checked.

Reduced Active Class Participation

Since education is slowly tilting away from the conventional, physical method of learning, educators now struggle to monitor the learning process of their students. Active class participation also has declined as students can log on to their online class, turn off their camera, and do other things instead of participating in class.

Lack of Interest in Education

One significant negative impact of COVID-19 is the lackadaisical attitude of students toward learning. The pandemic has helped people see and explore the different things they can do without an education. COVID-19 has also shown that content creators can make money from skills acquired over a few months of online courses. As a result, people are questioning the importance of higher education.

Conclusion

Like there are two sides to a coin, we can agree that COVID-19 has impacted the education sector positively and negatively. The new realities the pandemic has brought into the education system are not going away anytime soon, and it is only smart to adapt to them. Make the best of the positive impacts while seeking ways to mitigate the adverse effects to enhance the online learning experiences.

Similar Stories