In terms of our children’s lives, the past year has been a huge turning point. When I hear parents talk about their problems and issues, I wonder whether they comprehend how their child, particularly a teenager, is dealing with them. Because the child’s emotional compass is still developing, and the difference is astounding.
The life of a child is not pre-packaged. It contains all of the sounds, images, colors, scents, and memories of childhood. Every year marks a revolutionary point in one’s education. The learning world has turned upside down, adding to the ongoing uncertainty, distancing from normalcy, absence of real-time peer connections, and adults’ grasp on children’s life.
An entire generation’s productive potential has been diminished. The cancellation of secondary classes Boards and the postponement of the CIE (Cambridge International Examination) have resulted from public uproar, student and parent’s signature campaigns and doctors’ opinions on the surge, leading to great anxiety and strain. This was trailed with quick backlash, with the same players expressing their disapproval with the decision. Our system isn’t designed to deal with school closures, cancellations, or postponements, which reflects our very competitive attitude as reward and punishment gatekeepers.
Beyond the board exams for thousands or so schools associated with the different Board, there is a deeper tragedy unfolding. It is past time for educators and policymakers to recognize the impact of school closures on the country’s Public and Private schools: Learning gaps have harmed the country’s most deprived and alienated students. Due to a lack of equipment, connectivity, and teacher support, millions of them have been disconnected from learning. How will they deal with an examination system for which they are unprepared? Online examinations have proven to be a catastrophe for a huge number of pupils at the university and school levels. High-stakes exams demand connectivity, security, and invigilation, all of which are lacking.
There were attempts to recalibrate systems that had become entirely obsolete even before the pandemic. This is a chance to reconsider and revolutionize the education system. Because there is no way of knowing what the scenario will be in 2022, there is no time to waste. We can’t go from one learning crisis to the next by cancelling or postponing exams – they’re just instruments of pacification.
The students who will be appearing in the boards this year have had to learn a lot and that too on their own. They were trained to crack and pass exams rather than learn for the sake of learning under an old school system. If a new assessment system is to be developed, it cannot be applied to the current batch but must be implemented for upcoming batches. A competency-based learning strategy must be incorporated in the system to change how we execute material in the classrooms and develop questions that encourage students to think. The most demanded abilities will be creativity and the ability to be resilient.
To guarantee a smooth transition into postsecondary education, a bridge between higher education institutions and schools is required. Papers for university entrance exams and professional exams need to be evaluated and rewritten to fit into the new learning paradigm of the twenty-first century.
For a long time, millions of children may live without access to traditional schools. Instead of engaging with the experimental, virtual courses may focus primarily on literacy and numeracy. They might not promote inquiry-based learning, arts and sports integration, or the integration of social and emotional learning into the curriculum. Exams, as well as the content of classroom learning, need to be revised. We need to develop an integrated curriculum that allows students to respond to their uncertain future with imagination, creativity, and determination, and motivates them to strive for personal and collective well-being.
Every classroom, from preschool to Class XII, should weave lesson plans that emphasize several important key points: transversal competencies, traditional competencies, interaction and self-expression, and a focus on self-care and handling everyday life’s demands. The guiding principle for such initiatives should be to develop competency in both technology and work, as well as future-oriented abilities. Assessment rubrics must be comprehensive across all topics. A system of controlled teacher evaluations throughout the semester will create a distinct atmosphere, encouraging pupils to remain working despite any disruptions in their education.
What impact will the pandemic have on education in the long run? It is a chance to examine the National Education Policy at rural and urban level. To begin the process, the SED, School Education Department and other organizations have been working on textbooks and learning protocols. Learning must be viewed as a means to well-being and happiness, as well as possibilities to contribute to humanity, in order to flourish in a globalized world using 21st-century abilities. It is only possible when the learning progresses from contextual to conceptual. Hopefully, the discussion over the board examinations’ cancellation and postponement has provoked us to take a rigid look at the inequity in our systems and inspired policymakers and educators to work together to create a more equitable, just, and resilient educational system for the future — which is already here.