Dr Tasaduk Hussain Itoo
While COVID19 is primarily affecting public health, significant impact can be observed in education sector stemming primarily from extended school closures. If we have a thorough look on available data , to date, COVID19-driven school closures have impacted over one billion students worldwide. As per current World Bank information gathering as many as 160 countries are reporting school closures and these numbers have increased substantially since late February 2020.
School closure decisions have to balance different factors. On one hand, despite the low rates of infection among children, school closures are a critical pillar of the social distancing tools to mitigate the spread of the disease and avoid an acceleration of cases that will put a strain on health services. Its effectiveness as a measure to slow down the spread of contagion will depend on the exact timing of the closures, the age structure of the population and the length of the closure.
On the other hand, extended interrupted education that disengage students from the learning process has the potential cost of reversing gains in learning results. An even higher cost comes from the disengagement of students with learning challenges (academic, socio-economic, students with special/diverse educational needs or persons with disabilities) who may not effectively cope with remote learning strategies or cannot access the information.
In secondary schools, longer school closures could result in an increased risk of dropout for youth, particularly from lower income groups. School closings also impact labor supply as they may increase the burden on parents, who need to stay home or find new arrangements if children have to stay at home (even worse when playground and children centers are closed).
Apart from its direct impact on schooling, the Covid- 19 pandemic impacts include the possible use of school facilities as make-shift hospitals, as in some low-infrastructure rural areas the school may be the only public building available. That may cause lengthier disruption of education services making the building unavailable for education purposes.
Moreover, as part of the coping mechanisms the practice of offering alternative services of remote learning may work better for those students in households with better connectivity and with higher initial digital skills. This leaves those already disadvantaged further behind, so school closures with the inappropriate system coping mechanisms, might imply an exacerbation in inequality in education.
How can education mitigate COVID19’s impact?
USING DISTANCE LEARNING
While schools are closed, many countries have turned to distance learning as a means of mitigating for lost time in continuing education services. Some countries are simply putting resources on their website, and making available more products, but not necessarily online classes. Others, like Spain, are asking teachers to prepare online content and offer online classes. Infrastructure and familiarity with the tools seem to be driving successes (and challenges) of delivering learning. China for example, with robust connectivity, is offering distance learning successfully whereas others with limited penetration of internet, cell phone, or television (e.g. Vietnam, Mongolia) are finding it difficult to reach all students equally. In addition, many countries have challenges in ensuring that education services are equally accessible for employees/students with disabilities.
In addition to infrastructure and connectivity, teachers’ and administrators’ familiarity with the tools and processes are also key factors in providing distance learning. For example, Singapore is currently rolling out training for teachers on provision of classes online in anticipation of school closings. Some countries like Lebanon have opted to send kids home with lessons as homework, promoting independent distance learning with help from peers and parents, that would then be reinforced once school resumed.
In environments of low capacity and weak infrastructure, some countries have used education facilities and staff to support the larger community during the crisis. For example, in areas of low or no connectivity in communities, education facilities can be used as information hubs of medical holding centers.
LESSONS FROM EBOLA OUTBREAK 2014-15
The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak of 2014, infected 30,000 people, killed more than 13,000, caused economic and social devastation in three of the world’s most challenged countries. Many service delivery sectors suffered greatly, and education was no exception as schools across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone closed for 8 months and the communities went into practical lockdown attempting to curb the spreading. To address the crisis, each country developed a recovery plan and sought Bank and other partner support to implement it. The World Bank and partners helped Governments minimize the loss of learning using low tech tools like radio-based education programs and take-home learning packets. Teachers were recruited by Ministries of Health as contact tracers while a few were also retained to develop lesson content. As the infections decreased and the decision was made to reopen schools, Ministries of Education and partners developed protocols and guidelines for disinfecting and reopening of schools, distributed thermometers and sanitization supplies, and established hand-washing stations at every school. To ensure a resilient recovery, teachers were trained in addressing Ebola infections and guided on how to help students catch up on lost time. The academic calendar and examination schedules were modified, and Governments stepped in with school fee subsides. The full recovery period took 18 months.
It is therefore crucial to understand the extent to which the disruptions have impacted, or will impact learning – such as school closures, students and teachers’ absenteeism, exams delays, families without sufficient means to send their children back to school etc.
Reopening schools more resiliently if the existing education system has been struggling and schools do not have basic infrastructure to meet the needs of students. Bringing education facilities back to the original condition may not be enough if wash stations or latrines are not available and leaves students vulnerable once again to future health risks. So, recovering from crisis present opportunities to rebuild better.
Reductions in family incomes due to the economic impacts of the crisis might impact attendance, in particular where school fees are paid by families. If the assessment identifies such instances, considerations of temporary cancelation of such fees or conditional cash transfers to the most in need.
Governments can use the physical and human resources to address the epidemic. Given their level of education and profile within communities as per the rate of literacy, educators can serve as advocates and resources that would increase awareness and provide guidance. For example teachers can be trained on protocols for screening of children for fever and other symptoms and expanding awareness about the causes of infection once schools are resumed.
Limit physical contact by reducing social and extra-curricular activities. Many countries restricted or cancelled extra-curricular, athletic, or community activities as a measure of reducing physical contact. This has been rolled out by individual schools, regionally, or nationally by governments looking to enforce social distancing.
China’s path to Reopening Schools – phased approach
The decision of reopening schools is delegated to the province, city, county and district authorities with the principle of minimizing possible re-occurring infection and prioritizing needs of students. Authorities must also follow the criteria below:
* Provinces must record zero new confirmed COVID-19 cases for 28 consecutive days (in line with WHO requirement )
* All schools must be disinfected before the reopening.
* School reopening is gradual: higher grade (older students) return first followed by lower grades with pre-primary returning last. This is also intended to reduce large crowds on campus in the initial return phase.
* Once reopened, if conditions allow, schools must enforce an “all-closure” management approach (no outsiders can enter) to reduce possible infection.
* Schools are required to screen students’ temperature for fever and enforce wearing of masks in the initial stage.
Implement social distancing practices that may include:
* Staggering the beginning and end of the school day
* Cancelling assemblies, sports games and other events that create crowded conditions
* When possible, create space for children’s desks to be at least one metre apart
* Teach and model creating space and avoiding unnecessary touching
(The author is Chairman cum Director J & K Innovative Foundation for Transforming Society, works at SMVD Narayana Superspeciality Hospital Jammu.)
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