Schooling After COVID-19: Challenges in India
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Schooling after COVID-19: challenges in India WITH SCHOOLS SET TO REOPEN AFTER THE COVID-19 NATION-WIDE SCHOOL CLOSURES, EDUCATION AUTHORITIES NEED TO SUPPORT TEACHERS IN THESE CRUCIAL TIMES. TO TACKLE NEW CHALLENGES, TEACHERS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WILL EXPAND AND PLAY A PROMINENT ROLE IN THE RECOVERY, EXPLAINS VIMALA RAMACHANDRAN. 8 TEACHER 14(3) 2020 The last few months have been being faced by farmers, traders, and small Rajasthan, and to some extent Chhattisgarh unprecedented. Never before have schools business persons, teachers say that many and Jharkhand, are gearing up for increased been closed for such a long stretch due to a children have not been coming for tuitions. enrolment in rural schools because of natural or man-made calamity. Children are Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) the unprecedented reverse migration to not only at home, but are bombarded every working in rural areas note that most tuition villages. Based on recent interactions, I am day with messages that generate fear of this centres or classes are dysfunctional – the not too sure if the governments of Bihar, unknown contagious disease, COVID-19. need for physical distancing and financial Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh have stress are possible causes. accounted for in-migration as a concern Adults around them are scared and when schools reopen. It seems there is little overprotective − poor and middle-class Teachers may themselves be suffering forward planning to accommodate the families are afraid of losing their livelihoods from the ill-effects of the pandemic such influx of children in rural schools. and many have had to confront hunger and as a death in the family or depression, food shortages. In such circumstances, and may find it difficult to focus. While The Economic Times on 16 April reported children are confused and afraid, and most having a discussion with my colleague that NCERT has apparently worked out a importantly, there is no one to whom they Subir Shukla who worked with teachers in curriculum for a revised academic year – can turn to for reassurance. the post-Tsunami period in the Andaman this applies to schools that have adopted and Nicobar Islands, he mentioned that a the NCERT curriculum through the Central The families of migrant labourers faced set of clear guidelines and instructions can Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) of a different kind of trauma as they made help teachers tackle a crisis − ‘we found our India. While these are systemic issues that the long journey back to their villages pedagogy inputs providing psychosocial need careful block or district level planning, from the cities, taking their children along; succour as it gave them some sort of way there are several psychosocial issues that many children were suddenly thrust into an forward…’ Therefore, it would be important merit urgent attention. Given that the unfamiliar milieu. Those studying in urban to provide teachers with a forum or space present situation is dynamic, the issues government or low-cost private schools have at the cluster or block level to voice their and concerns given below are not in any had to now join a rural school where they concerns and talk to each other. In some sequential order and all of them may have may have dealt with another medium of states, teachers seem to be comfortable to be addressed simultaneously. instruction, a different environment, and with online processes, which provide scope perhaps far fewer school facilities. These are for online and on-demand counselling. On As one of the first steps before schools indeed trying times for children, teachers, the other hand, in most of central, eastern, re-open, there is an urgent need to organise and parents. and northern India, internet access in rural block level and ward-level workshops for areas is still unreliable and there may be teachers to enable them to support children. Teachers too are going through a a large number of teachers who are likely Fear of the unknown virus, disruption of traumatic phase. Anecdotal reports trickling to be unfamiliar with online processes. In their daily life, hunger and other forms of in reveal that many teachers in low-cost such areas, physical workshops and a nodal deprivation will inevitably impact children. private schools have lost their jobs, contract person who can be contacted either through Instead of jumping straight into teaching, teachers in government schools have not phone or WhatsApp can be explored as a all schools will have to facilitate structured been paid their salaries since the lockdown, support mechanism. interactions with children, listen to them, non-permanent teachers are unsure if they understand their apprehensions and fears, would continue to have their jobs, and most Writing in the Indian Express, Ameeta and provide them with a loving and caring worrying of all, there is the continuing Mulla Wattal, Principal, Springdales School environment. This kind of support was uncertainty around school reopening. An pointed out that ‘...going forward, in the given in many schools after the devastating article on the news channel NDTV recently new post-pandemic environment, what Kutch earthquake in 2001. Several NGOs highlighted the case of teachers from private will be required is a huge shift in mindset — and multilateral agencies like UNICEF schools enrolling for daily wage work in both social and emotional.’ Senior officials developed modules to train and orient rural areas1. in the education department of several states teachers to support traumatised children. that I interacted with on the telephone said This kind of work needs to be done at a Equally upsetting is the pressure that they have not yet started thinking about much larger or nation-wide scale. Similar on secondary school teachers to finish what they may have to do when schools experiences were narrated by people who the syllabus and prepare students for eventually reopen a few months from now. worked with schools after the devastating examinations. Given the financial crisis At this stage, some state governments like Tsunami of 2004. As Subir Shukla said to POLICY 9 me ‘Students themselves will need a great Responsibility (CSR) resources should accompanying their fathers. This was no- deal of emotional ‘rehabilitation’, so more be channelled to bridge the digital divide ticed in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as listening exercises, interaction and sharing, between different types of schools in both well. Therefore, schools and teachers need more group work (with physical distance), rural and urban India. to be aware of these context-specific issues. and involving them in planning of what to Where necessary, Subir Shukla advises that do ahead (even in the youngest classes) can Central and state governments, and short-term partial attendance should also help… such group sharing can be a healing academic bodies like NCERT and SCERTs, be offered. This could perhaps be achieved experience for all involved.’ It must, however, have to send a clear message to teachers by enrolling such students in an open school be underscored that just issuing government not to rush through the syllabus, but to and preparing them for open-school exami- orders asking teachers to do this will not take time to help children cope with their nations for grades 10 and 12. work – education departments will need trauma, refresh what they have learnt to work with child psychologists and child before the lockdown, and consciously The school health programme also protection activists to develop a training create a loving and caring environment. needs to be re-designed and allocated module that is rolled out for all teachers in This may take a month or two, and state more financial and human resources. all schools – both government and private governments will need to communicate to Teachers need to be aware of the impact ones. This can be done for a cluster of 20 schools the importance of a gentle approach of poor nutrition and hunger on their odd schools involving all the teachers, when children come back to school. This students and calibrate the mid-day meal school heads, and concerned administrators. would be particularly important in rural programme in such a way that children are schools that may see a surge in enrolment provided additional nutrition. To this end, There is also a need to prepare teachers of children who have come back from teachers may have to work closely with the for conducting accelerated learning classes urban areas. Supporting the newly enrolled Panchayat, the local PHC / Sub-Centre, and to help children recall and get back into children who may have had very different Anganwadi Centre to ensure all children are the rhythm of learning. While children experiences would be critical to ensure given nutritious food. Each state may have studying in well off private schools from that they settle down and feel comfortable. to design and roll out a school-health and the middle-class families may have had the Teachers need to be aware that there may nutrition programme to address the impact opportunity to learn through online classes, be tensions between the children who have of hunger and inadequate food during the children from poor, lower middle-class, and returned from urban areas and those who lockdown and post-lockdown period. The migrant worker families do not have such have always been in the village. Managing contours of such a programme would have privileged access to any form of online tensions and counselling children would be to be developed afresh. education. Many do not even have access to an additional task when schools reopen. the TV classes that were supposed to have Essentially what is being argued is that been organised in several states. The clearly There is a real danger of children in the role of the teachers in the post COVID- visible digital divide needs to be factored in higher classes dropping out, and girls may 19 lockdown phase would have to be and schools that cater to the poor and the be particularly vulnerable.