Learning while keeping social distance: will it work?
I came across a post on Facebook a few days ago, it said something like this - "you think 2020 is the worst time ever? Think about 20 years later where our country will be run by kids who were homeschooled by alcoholic!" I laugh at it, but a moment later, fear overwhelmed me.
The pandemic which swept across the globe stunned us and left us unprepared. Schools were closed, and children were asked to stay home. In Malaysia, students have been learning through online platforms like Zoom meeting and Google Classroom for a couple of months in 2020, and some are expected to continue online schooling at home in early 2021.
The result of online learning at home, as the Facebook post suggested, would only be visible in the future far from now. However, there were some immediate feedbacks from all three parties, parents, students and teachers - none of them enjoyed the teaching and learning through Zoom meeting app and Google Classroom. Teachers were not trained to use the platform, never mentioned to use it effectively for teaching; students are unfamiliar with using technology. The lack of social interaction between student-teacher and their peers worsens the learning experience. Most parents cannot play the role of a teacher at home while worrying about their income. Needless to say, low-income families could not afford devices or internet connectivity, causing nearly *40% of students being left out in the online classes.
I wondered what is left for children when they were trapped at home during the pandemic? Children might spend their free time with endless hours of TV programs and mobile devices, or in the worst scenario, they were left with abusive parents or substance-abuse parents. Either way, it is unhealthy for children; it hinders their development both mentally and academically. Let's bear in mind that these kids who spent their time at home, most probably not learning, will grow up and be the nation's pillars in the future. It is about the right time to express concerns on the current education system.
The acute demand for technology usage revealed that many of us, children and adults, do not possess adequate ICT knowledge besides using our smartphones to post a picture on Facebook or watch videos on YouTube. Despite the Wawasan 2020's vision, we are still far away from becoming knowledge workers in the knowledge economy. Besides carrying out **fundraising to buy laptops for poor students, the big question our politicians needed to answer is how to ensure effective teaching and learning while keeping social distance between students and teachers. Can we win the battle against the deadly virus while growing our children to become a member of the knowledge workers the world needed in the future?
Can our education system keep pace with the changes brought by the pandemic?
*Chan, D., Karim, K.N., & Yusof, T.A. (2020, April 15). Almost 40pct of students can't study at home as they lack electronic devices. New Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/584641/almost-40pct-students-cant-study-home-they-lack-electronic-devices
**Tan, T. (2020, Dec 30). Syed Saddiq shaves head after charity fundraising meets target. The Star. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/30/syed-saddiq-shaves-head-after-charity-fundraising-meets-target