View of IMPACT OF PANDEMIC (COVID -19) ON EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE FIELD OF COMPUTER

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VOLUME: 10, Special Issue 01, (IC-IESP-MULTI-2023) Paper id-IJIERM-X-I, January 2023 294

IMPACT OF PANDEMIC (COVID -19) ON EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE FIELD OF COMPUTER

Ashish Kumar

Assistant Professor (Computer Science & Application), Vindhya Institute of Management &

Science, Satna M.P.

Abstract- Covid-19 pandemic is the first and the most foremost a health crisis. The World- Wide lockdowns because of the global pandemic have affected many very important sectors adversely, one of them being the education sector. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools, colleges and universities to keep it closed abruptly. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted access to education and learning across the whole world. At the height of the pandemic, over 1.5 billion learners or educators were affected by the world school closures.

India, which is the most populated countries in the world, UNICEF recently reported that the COVID-19 school closures have impacted 247 million primary- and secondary- school students (UNICEF 2021). As a global leader in large-scale education reform and education-tech application among developing countries, India offers a fertile environment for this study’s data collection. In addition, with one of the 2nd largest populations in the world, India offers great variation and lessons applicable to different contexts.

The purpose of this study is to identify gaps and challenges in remote learning with a focus on education tech in ensuring continuity of learning opportunities and educator, student, and parent engagement in educational with the help of computer.

Keyword: Corona virus, e-learning, education sector.

1 INTRODUCTION

In this pandemic response to significant demand, many online learning platforms are offering free access to their many services, Covid-19 affects the education system in the world wide. Schools, colleges, and universities are closed to control the spread of the covid- 19. School closure brings difficulties for students, teachers, and parents. So, basically distance learning is a solution to continue the education system. However, the lack and insufficient of network infrastructures, computers, and internet access is challenging distance learning in developing countries like India. This paper aims to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system in developing countries like India. Hence, countries design a strategy to use educational technology, no-fee internet educational resources, free online learning resources, and broadcasts teaching. During closures, educational institutions design curriculum, prepare teaching-learning strategies for post- coronavirus. The educational institutions prepare strategies to recover lost learning, and return students to school when schools are reopen. Covid-19 has been impacting the face- 2-face education system of developing countries. That’s why, developing countries like India should enhance broadcast teaching, online teaching, and virtual class infrastructures. As UNESCO (UNESCO, 2020b) reports that 87% of the world’s student population is affected by corona virus school closures. UNESCO is launching distance learning practices and reaching students who are most at risk. According to the UNESCO, over 1.5 billion students in 195 countries are affected by COVID-19 pandemic school closures. In (Niranjan, 2020) studied that corona virus impacted not only the overall economy and our day to day life, but also emotional, mental, and physical health of many people and, also, losses in national and international business, poor cash flow in the market, locked national and international traveling; moreover, disruption of the celebration of cultural, and festival events, stress among the peoples, the closures of hotels, restaurants, religious, and entertainment places (Evans, 2020). In many developing countries the economic shock has come first, as governments have locked down their economies to decrease the speed of corona virus infection. As a result, developing countries are suffering their greatest economic loses and closures of their education and transportation system (Haleem et al., 2020). Distance learning solutions are containing platforms, educational applications, and resources that aimed to help parents, students, teachers and society. Digital learning systems, massive open online course platforms, and self-directed learning content (UNESCO, 2020a).

However, due to lack of internet connectivity in developing country, information technology,

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educational materials, and digital technology skill distance learning is difficult for teachers, students, and families in developing countries (Mustafa, 2020). Some developing countries deliver classes through radio, television, cell phones and online platforms. However, the poorest families and students have not radio, television, cell phones and other devices to access the resources and to learn at their home. So, some developing countries provide resources such as textbooks, radios, equipment, and study guides to the poorest students (Mustafa, 2020).

1.1 Effect of COVID-19 on Education System

In the whole world, most countries have temporarily closed child-care services, nursery, primary secondary and higher secondary schools, colleges, and universities to control the spread of the corona virus pandemic (TUAC Secretariat Briefing, 2020). Corona virus impacts not only students but also it affects teachers and parents across the world.

UNESCO reported that over 1.5 billion students in 195 countries are out of school in the world due to the school closures (UNESCO, 2020b). As (Pujari, 2020) corona virus affects all over the education system, exams, and evaluation, starting of new semester or year and it may extend the school, college and university year.

1.2 Teachers, Students, and Parents

The pandemic of corona virus pandemic is affecting schools, students, teachers, and society. The corona virus crisis increases social inequality in schools. Students from more advantaged parents attend schools with better digital infrastructure and teachers might have higher levels of digital technology skills. Some schools can be well equipped in digital technology and educational resources too. Distance learning is basically a solution to continue the education, but it is difficult in developing countries because many parents have not themselves been to school or college and there is a lack of the necessary Information and Communication Technology infrastructures, computers, radio, and television to provide distance learning. Access to computers network and access to the internet is basic to successful distance teaching.

1.3 Unequal Access to Educational Resources and Technology

The school’s closure due to corona virus may not affect students equally. Students from less advantaged backgrounds highly suffered during corona virus than advantaged students (Di Pietro et al., 2020). To control the coronavirus spread, most countries have been working to encourage parents, teachers and schools to help students continue to learn at home through distance learning (UNESCO, 2020a). The governments advised students to learn from radio and television lessons that can be accessed at home any time. The radio and television lessons may work for some students in urban areas, but most parents in rural areas have not accessed to radios and television lessons due to no infrastructure.

1.4 Assessment and Evaluation

Distance learning is a good opportunity for students, teachers and families. In (Zhu & Liu, 2020) developed actions such as introduced online learning platforms, use Blackboard, Zoom, Tron Class, and Wechat group platforms, and conducted online training session, and collected information about all courses. Online teaching and learning are not a new way of delivery for developed countries and some developing countries. However, shifting from face-2-face class to online learning is challenging for students, teachers, families, and the countries government due to lack of economic, skill, ICT infrastructure, internet access, and educational resources (Basilaia & Kvavadze, 2020). Furthermore, computers and other ICT equipment, at home are difficult for most students, teachers and parents in developing countries

1.5 Continuity Education System during corona virus

UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020) stated that in the case of school, college, and university closures, support continued access to quality education. This can include the use of distance learning planning’s, assigning reading and exercises for home study, radio or television teaching of academic content, assigning teachers to arrange remote follow-up with

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students, and create advanced education strategies. The pandemic has made all the education system across the whole world to adopt distance learning since the pandemic pushes face-2-face learning to online learning. So, in most developed countries, courses, and exams are conducted online by using different available resources , applications, and social networks. The corona virus pandemic has not clear investigation when the virus will be controlled, but there is an indication it will at for two years and the virus will occur again and it will be faced by the world. So, the countries should plan different plans to continuity the education system through distance learning platforms. Regarding this, the country designs a plan to scale educational technology during pandemics, establish zero-rating educational resources on the internet, universal service funds and connecting schools to the internet infrastructure, prepare online teaching learning resources, utilizing free online learning resources, practice mobile , radio and television teaching learning and grow up ICT infrastructures.

2 EDUCATION IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DURING CORONA VIRUS

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the education society. The authors in (Crawford et al., 2020) discussed and analyzed the intra-period higher education’s responses of 20 countries in the world. They decided that to social distancing plans on higher educations, needs a rapid curriculum redevelopment for complitly online learning. In (Pujari, 2020) stated that due to the closure of school students, teachers, and parents fare facing various difficulties in India. So, online teaching is a better solution, feasible, and appropriate but it challenges for poor parents and students. According to UNESCO reports the corona virus pandemic has interrupted the face-2-face class for at least 9 out of 10 students worldwide.

World wide, 195 countries have closed all their schools, affecting over 1.5 billion students from pre-primary to higher education. In the worldwide 50% (826 million), 43% (706 million) of students do not have a computer and internet access at their home respectively.

Also, about 56 million students cannot use mobile phones, because they are not covered by mobile networks due to insufficient infrastructure. Sub-Saharan Africa Countries, about 89% (216 million), 82% (199 million), and 11% (26 million) of students do not have even a computer, home internet access, and not covered by mobile networks respectively too.

Moreover, about 56 million students live in Sub-Saharan Africa not served by mobile networks infrastructure. Furthermore, corona virus highlights the need for more ICT trained teachers.

2.1 Education System Post-COVID-19

The curriculum designers, education officers, educational institutions and researchers work together to transform the education system during the closures. Educational institutions should develop curriculums, prepare learning plans and techniques for post-COVID-19, and transform the education system itself. During closures curriculum design, collaborations, skill development, and educational institutions should focus on advancing the education system infrastructure. After COVID-19, the school’s create strategies and methods to recover lost learning, ensure children return to school when schools reopen, preparing students, parents teachers and society, and to scale distance learning accessibility . Some students from no-income parents may decide to work as daily laborers to support their families financially and may never return to school when schools reopen due to this pandemic. Parents from rural areas may be unwilling to send their children back to school because they may prefer their children to continue to support them in cattle herding and farming. The schools should trace those students who do not return to school due to this pandemic.

Research design:- Our study is based on information available on the magazine and the Internet among school and college going children in the Indian city of Satna. Satna is a semi urban city. Madhya Pradesh is the third largest state of India. Satna city is a sparsely populated city. There are some private and government schools and colleges according to the population of Satna city. We are here to find out how education technology has been used before and after the corona virus.

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There is a lot of difference between government and private schools and colleges before and after Corona. To understand the educational practices of households in Satna pre-Covid-19 and during the post-Covid-19 school/college closure, we conducted our sample on magazine and internet resources and a total of 500 school/college students in March of 2021. From a dataset consisting of 500 students who were part of Madhya Pradesh education, the study studied information available on a magazine and the internet of 500 children from Anganwadi to college. In which 320 boys students and 180 girls students are included. During the study, we found that the number of girls students studying in school and college is less and boys are more, as well as before Corona students were going to school and college but after Corona virus they did not go to school and college. He could not study during covid-19 due to lack or absence of ICT facilities.

3 DATA COLLECTION AND INTERPRETATION

Table 1 Education status

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As we can see on the table we have taken the data of 500 students in which 320 boys students and 180 girls students in which 380 students are enrolled and 120 are not enrolled. The number of students studying in government school is 190 and the number of students studying in private school is 310. If we talk about the medium i.e. through which language we are studying, then we find that 340 children study in Hindi medium while 160 children study in English medium. If we talk about the economic status of the students, then there are 200 such students who come from high society, while 300 students come from low society. If we see on whom the student is dependent, we will find that 99 children are dependent on mother, 265 children on father, 52 children on aunt, 72 children on grandmother and 12 children on own sister or brother.

4 DISCUSSION

In this study, we set out to explore the use of education technology in school college education in Satna, Satna during corona virus. We investigated how education-tech use differed by type of school, college, and gender of the student, and how it changed during the COVID-19 school, college closures. Ultimately, we wanted to know how the use of education tech may exacerbate or mitigate the unequal impact of school, college closures on student learning in a low-income setting. To this end, we collected data from magazine and internet of 500 students of ages 5 to 22 years. The children in our sample were collected from internet data, and we had a slightly higher proportion of boys than girls, but the difference was not statistically significant. A majority of children were enrolled in private schools, colleges, but the proportion of children by household SES varied. While enrollment by students from low SES households was evenly distributed between government and private schools, students from high-SES households were much more likely to be enrolled in private schools. Our findings indicate that children from high SES households and those attending private schools experienced several advantages in access to learning opportunities in this pandemic, and the gap in learning opportunity increased during the corona virus school closures.

5 CONCLUSION & SUMMARY

The corona virus is a pandemic disease caused by a virus that affects the education system of both developing and developed countries. Education is the pillar of every country. In the whole world, most schools, colleges, and universities are closed to control the spread of the corona virus. The school closure brings difficulties for students, teachers and families. So, distance learning is a solution to continue the education. However, distance learning is challenging in developing countries because many parents have not themselves been to school , college , lack of ICT infrastructures, computers, radio, and television. The poor and digitally-illiterate families with lower educational levels children with poor learning motivation are more suffering in this pandemic and this increases inequality. Students in most rural areas may be forced to fully support their families in cattle herding and farming in this pandemic.. The corona virus pandemic has made all the educational schools across the whole world to adopt teaching and learning online. So, governments should develop network infrastructure and internet connectivity across urban and rural areas. The countries should design a plan to scale educational technology, establish zero-rating educational resources on the internet, prepare digital teaching and learning resources, utilizing no fee online learning resources, use mobile learning, use radio and television teaching, and grow-up ICT infrastructures. During closures researchers, curriculum developers, education officers, and educational institutions work together to transform the education society. Schools and universities should design a curriculum, prepare learning plans and techniques for post-COVID-19, and transform the education system itself. After corona virus, the schools and universities design strategies and methods to recover lost portions, ensure children return to school when schools reopen, and develop online learning infrastructures. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has been impacting the face-2- face education system of developing countries. Therefore, developing countries should develop online teaching and learning infrastructures.

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