The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you. —B.B. King
At the beginning of 2020, there were children in schools all across the world. Then at the end of the 1st quarter, over 1 billion learners— over 9/10 of the world’s students — limited to their homes because of the covid-19 spreading across the globe.
The epidemic is adding to the ceaseless obstacles challenging students in their desire for a quality education and a prosperous life.
It is not a mystery that majority of the schools across Nigeria and Africa as a whole were for the most part under-resourced and underfunded especially in the area of adoption of technology, regardless of the digital world that we live in. When the word school is uttered, images of a teacher in front of a whiteboard or chalkboard speaking to a room of students who are seated with notebooks and pens or pencils in front of them. As stated above, this unchanging method to education through the current situation across the world has been uncovered to be lacking to enable students learn in the 21st century as everyone scrambles to get students online.
Before Covid-19 burst on the scene, education was stuck within school buildings especially, now we are all realizing that learning can, should be happening everywhere and anywhere. Learning does not have to be constrained within a brick-and-mortar building, and it can take many shapes. As we are all saying now, this is the new normal and my thoughts are that this is a great opportunity to bring about needed disruption to our education system.
Now is the time to discuss opportunities to solutions for students in our semi quarantine state.
We could try a hybrid learning model that combines some form of hands on learning and technology. that balances between self-learning and teacher-led learning. Virtual learning and team learning with a bunch of peers figuring out flexible schedules with distinctive learning styles.
From my experience as a parent, an educator and currently a student, I have learned that student self-sufficiency and time management boosts student’s comprehension of their learning. It is something that we should appreciate it and continue to push it.
During the lockdown, students living in marginalized areas were able to tune into radio programs provided by Lagos state and peer coach one another. Students who had no access to learning now had access to great teachers providing great content across various subjects. These teachers have become facilitators instead of being sages in physical buildings, they use technology and digital platforms.
I also have been observing how suddenly education has been promoted to the front stage all across the world, everyone is talking about learning methods, teachers, students’ need etc. A year ago, you skim through the headlines or the insides of a paper; there was hardly any mention of anything to do with education, if there was, it was short articles or special reports; that was it. Juxtapose that situation with what is currently taking place now, constant discussions around school reopening, the virtues or drawbacks of virtual learning, what interventions will suit schools etc.
The lockdown revealed the deep inequities across the world in the way we have been addressing education. This has created an opportunity for us to resolve the gaps and ensure that all of our children are carried along in our desire for them to have quality education. My hope is that instead of bemoaning the changes and the disruption to our daily lives, we take advantage and utilize the potential that the pandemic has accorded education.
Adetola Salau; Global Educator / International Speaker / Author/ Social Entrepreneur/ Innovative Thinker/Future Readiness Advocate/ STEM Certified Trainer
She is an Advocate of STEM Education and is Passionate about Education reform. She is an innovative thinker and strives for our society & continent as a whole to reclaim its greatness.
E-mail-:aia.salau@gmail.com
twitter-: @Stemproft
Website-: http://adetolasalau.com/