COVID-19 pandemic has affected the life of every individual around the globe. The adverse impacts of the pandemic have affected the lives of individuals differently, and everyone is employing a different coping mechanism to deal with it. But in this situation of crisis, children are the most vulnerable group as it is altering their lives in more than one way. The only relief for the parents and children was the less susceptibility of children to contracting the virus. Still, the prediction of health experts about the third wave of COVID-19 has created tension among parents and children.
The indirect impact of COVID-19 is hitting children in multiple ways, but the intensity of this will not be the same for all the children. It is expected that for some children, it will cause lifelong damage. With the prevailing lockdown situation, closure of the schools, and social distancing guidelines, children face the consequences in the form of mental health issues, physical and sexual abuse, and, most notably, learning gaps. According to the data released by UNICEF in March 2021, "more than 168 million children have been affected by the complete closure of the schools," and considering the current situation and the threat third wave of the COVID-19 poses for the children, the condition does not seem to get better any time soon.
A school is a place that plays a crucial role in the early socialization of children, which along with academics, helps them in their overall development. Education and skills which they learn in school years help them shape a better future for themselves. But since March 2020, this disease has disrupted the normal functioning of school education, and to deal with this problem, we have found online learning as its alternative. The abrupt and sudden shift from classroom mode to online mode without the required training has brought new challenges.
The rise of online learning has changed the ways of teaching and learning. The effectiveness of online learning varies according to the age group of the students. Younger children need a more structured and disciplined environment, and online education usually takes place at home and cannot provide the required environment for their overall development. This absence of classroom interaction and peer group, which is considered very important for the development of children through which they learn non-academic skills like cooperation, drawing boundaries, emotional support, etc., is jeopardized. Children who went to school for some time are aware of the classroom learning environment and settings, but with prolonged closure, even they are going to forget. Apart from them, we should not forget about those kids who are getting enrolled in nursery classes during a pandemic and are directly introduced to online education as an institution of socialization. Their parent’s phone, laptop, computer, and other multi-media device is their classroom which they can escape by turning off the camera and audio.
COVID-19 has deepened the already existing education crisis and has created new challenges and risks by replacing schools with online learning as a medium of socialization for these kids. Along with other challenges, the additional burden for the parents of these kids would be to introduce them to classroom learning.
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