YEAR 2 AC (After Coronavirus):

A Future Imagined by Youth

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2021
3rd Edition

Weekly Winner
Category - Children
Essay Topic:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by school
closing across the world. What lessons can we draw to
make education systems more resilient for the future?

Akshat Gupta
Lotus Valley International School,
Sector 126 , Noida
Uttar Pradesh

The word school is derived from the Greek word “Schole”, which means “lecture place”; COVID-19
pandemic reaffirmed the fact that our homes are our first lecture place.

As the pandemic spread around the world, school systems are forced to shut down. To date, the
education community has primarily focused on the different strategies to continue schooling,
including lively discussions on the role of education technology versus the distribution of printed
paper packets. There has been relatively limited discussion on the know-how and efficient use of
technology to develop and establish a robust system, which can be an efficient tool for routine and
also workable in emergency scenarios like pandemics, so that the impact of any such uncertainties
on children can be minimized.

As of 30th March, more than 1.5 billion learners have been affected by school closures. If we com-
pare the school closures during the global crises, such as the 1918 Spanish flu and World War II, the
level of education disruption is much larger currently. As 90 percent of the world’s young people
are enrolled in primary school compared to 40 percent in 1920.

COVID 19 has taught us many new lessons that can help us strengthen our existing education
system and mobilize its reachability to the rarest of the corners of society that gets affected worst
in emergencies Education during conflict emergencies gets immediately suspended and is always
last to get restored. However, an online system can be more effective for education and fun activi-
ties during a pandemic situation.
Most important is to include life-saving health and safety messages in online teaching. Remote learn-
ing programs are the key, be it printed materials, online sessions through the internet or Radio.

According to UNICEF report (1999), argued that in crisis, education activities should be designed as
rapid response activities with longer development goals. This principle can help the education commu-
nity to respond better to the COVID–19 pandemic scenarios. However, it means that school administra-
tors and educators need to find ways, that the immediate response activities can lay the foundation of
long-term goals.

Continuity of education should be the key focus to support children’s resilience and well-being and
reduce anxiety during the emergency crisis, which helps them adjust to the new normal. There are
some predictable risks for students who do not have access to technology as remote learning runs the
risk of drastically widening the gap between young people with available resources.

Online cybercrime is also one of the areas of grave concern and stringent laws should be put in place to
save children getting trapped being unaware of the consequences of certain cyber activities.

Therefore, would like to conclude by saying that creative and immediate responses lay the foundation
of building back a better, more efficient, and effective system. Returning to normal might seems to be
no longer an option, but this scenario will help in catalyzing more immense and drastic reforms, which
are very much required to turn around age-old existing educational system. After all, “The whole
purpose of education is to convert mirrors into windows”.

eekly Winn
W er
 YEAR 2 AC (After Coronavirus):
A Future Imagined by Youth
Pan India Online Essay Contest 2021
3rd Edition

Weekly Winner
Category - Youth
Essay Topic:
The pandemic has caused 100 million direct tourism jobs
to be at-risk. Women, who make up 54 percent of the
tourism workforce, and youth have been particularly
affected by disruptions to cultural tourism worldwide. As
a young person, what initiatives would you recommend
reviving cultural tourism in a post-pandemic world, and
to promote inclusive, community-driven and sustainable
Mihir Bhatt
SGTB Khalsa College, tourism?
Delhi University,
New Delhi

Tourism has become a significant driver of economic activity around the world. According to the
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism directly accounts for about three and a half
percent of global GDP. Further, this may be increased by up to 10 percent, considering the linkages
tourism has to other sectors. This implies that any disruption to tourism can have a socioeconomic
impact. COVID-19 crisis has amplified this challenge.

Tourism provides critical jobs to young women and migrant workers, who are suffering dispropor-
tionately. However, the crisis has also inflicted financial strains on firms in the tourism industry
especially small and medium enterprises leading to long-term economic scouring and job losses.
Governments have taken adequate steps to cushion this blow and minimize job losses. Still, the
survival of firms and employment remains at risk. More help may well be required by the end of
2021, and beyond, to ensure that recovery is well entrenched. The governments responded
through a designed fiscal stimulus targeted to help the ailing tourism sector and households to
ensure sustainability.

The WTTC has said that the pandemic could probably lead to 40 million job losses extensively just
in the travel and tourism industry. To conquer the outbreak now, it could take over ten months for
the sector to recover. The loss of three months of global travel in 2020 have led to a corresponding
decline in jobs, and this shows that the tourism sector seems to have been the first and perhaps
the most devastated sector of COVID-19.
For the revival of the tourism industry, many countries have targeted support in the tourism sector,
which could assist firms in adapting their business models and retraining staff to ensure sustained
viability. Also, monetary and financial policies can help implement credit relief to borrowers who are
solvent in general approach. Support should be directed to firms that were viable before the pandemic
with considerations for those that generate high social value due to linkages they have with the local
economy, particularly with employment. Some countries have focused on restarting domestic tourism.
Therefore, every country needs to focus on two areas- first, global cooperation on distributing vaccines
and second particular regard to health and hygiene protocols, to ensure safely lifting the travel restric-
tions. Such actions are crucial for reviving the tourism economy while living alongside the virus. Still, in
the long term, the situation is also an opportunity to encourage a fundamental shift within and beyond
the tourism sector. This means serving the more robust, sustainable and resilient tourism economy in
the new post-pandemic normal.

These steps could ensure sustainable tourism services where it is possible to help reduce health risks
and support a low carbon transition. It also means encouraging health systems at the country level to
enhance the magnetism of tourist destinations. This could also entail promoting health in the tourism
industry. However, concerned authorities should develop new measures to boost the travel industry
economically, socially, and above all financially.

In a considered way, travel agencies should focus on the regulatory environment and continue increas-
ing their permits and other formalities to reduce future risks for domestic tourism.

Technology plays a crucial role. Travel firms that invested in technology solutions helped them in their
survival. It provides agencies with all the digital tools they need to get primed for the 'new normal'
where most communications are based online. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedent-
ed socioeconomic impact and the need is to raise awareness of the role sustainability plays in tourism.

eekly Winn
W er