From world over to this caged paradise
by Wasia Mashoor
When world is struggling for its survival and a lockdown is a hope for rejuvenation. Many are trying to keep the education system upheld. From kids to adults book is a savior in the time of isolation but apart from reading for sake of reading there are majority who feel the need to lower the sufferance of formal schooling. In a lockdown where only essential life saving services are open, education system also stayed closed. But, applause for those who made it essential through distance learning, so neither time not education is in losses.
Looking at the diversified efforts to keep the education going on one way or the other, it gives immense inspiration as well as despair too where the world is trying every bit to enhance learning through distance education. Teachers being trained, activities and worksheets to be upgraded to distance level learning and so on.
An exemplary work that I saw was that done in the schools of UAE backed up by the government bodies like KHDA. The way they dealt with the issue of keeping education updated and not to making children suffer of this, we need to follow their foot prints.
Firstly their government and administration started with the set up of distance learning enhanced by short courses, demos etc. Second the teachers in collaboration with the school administration upgraded worksheets, lessons and activities. And finally with the use of technology the same was delivered to students online, which was further executed with the help of parents.
So we see a transition from formal schooling to distance learning. It’s not only UAE but across the globe where ever there is current lockdown. But I chose it as my example because it’s far better than others.
By now you must have understood the gravity of distance learning and keeping the education system upheld. But why I’m disseminating this information, because to draw a comparison on how world is reacting in a lockdown of few days and what children of Kashmir go through during the holistic lockdown for months together. The most grave lockdown lasted about 6 months started early August, 2019.
To start with I would like to remind that this lockdown was not isolation or social distancing but it was the lockdown of essential services. From closure of every unit essential or non-essential to baring internet service and barring mobile and landline services, which means whosoever, wheresoever and whatsoever a person knew nothing of other? In such circumstances where humanity was at the edge of decline, how education system would have survived? Remember there wasn’t even a single space for distance learning. Our children lost access to schools as well as formal education for a period of six months.
The first thing that started was the education at local level with any teacher who was willing to start to teach locally in a community. As far as I speak of mine as a teacher I did gather few children in my locality but the issue was non-availability of study material, resources and of course communication. Here the teacher was from one school and the students from different schools and outcome was no consensus point among them except to keep learning going. So this issue to be dealt with to create worksheets without source and to fill the gap.
I started with general assumptions like what could be the general syllabus for Kindergarten and then middle school students and so accordingly I framed the worksheets and activities, from maximum possible rsources that was available at home. Further a school like schedule was made where I divided time equally for study, computer, activities and play.
The aim was to provide mini-school like system so as to keep their spirit up and not let loose the system of education. What for me was the difficult portion during this attempt was the non-availability of resources and study material. I remember drawing alphabets with my hand because we couldn’t get computer print out. So again today when I see people across the globe putting efforts I feel for my tiny tots who suffered a lot and as a teacher I could feel that but I was myself helpless.
But we didn’t stop here. When the curbs were bit relaxed after a month we tried to devise few methods. As there was no source of communication, the first thing schools did they tried to locate the vehicle drivers because they only knew addresses of teachers and students. First school administration compiled the resources which were sent to the teachers through drivers, wherever possible.
The teachers further prepared the lessons and study material which again through these drivers were sent to the students. Further after few months when there was bit more relaxation parents collected the assignments from school. But in all this our children lost access to formal education and lost their half year. And again when I see people across the globe I feel for my students who lost their every childhood things in these six months of lockdown.
And now as of current situation, we do have partial communication available without high-speed internet but still education is stuck. Today I see announcements of lessons to be delivered on national channels but are our students ready for it? A general pre-recorded lecture cannot be termed as interactive learning. And another question peeps through the window of my mind is that today our government is taking few unworthy steps because world is doing so and they are following the trend. Did they ever think it before when our children were losing the right to education?