VENUS B.

MACATUGGAL MST-SOCSCI
 COVID-19 TRANSFORMS EDUCATION SYSTEMS ACROSS COUNTRIES; WHEN WILL LEARNER’S

STRUGGLES END?

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the world and like any critical sector; education has

been hit the hardest. Students, schools, colleges and universities have been deeply affected.

Different sectors of education trying their best to cope up with this situation.

Implementing new normal education is quite hard considering the situation of each learners

and educators. Many factors should scrutinized by the implementers on education. One of which is

the economic stability of each learners/students; all learner will not be able to have their own

gadgets or means to afford or to adopt the new normal of education; secondly, the environment or

place were individual live are far flung places and having slow connection of internet, and we cannot

deny the fact that our network providers in our country is not as stable and strong to other

countries; and lastly not all educators are knowledgeable in different online platforms or portals as

well as the students.

Our government launched different strategies and topped different organization that has

mission and vision on education to solicit plans and ideas for us to continue education amidst this

pandemic. With this, we overcome the last academic year and hoping that in this year it will be

polished and organized based on what we have encountered in the previous academic year

especially in the needs of the learners.

BODY

The COVID-19 has caused schools and universities to close across the world. Education has

changed a lot with the rise of e-learning where teaching is done remotely and mostly on online

platforms. As a result, with the sudden shift away from the classrooms, new ways of learning have

been developed requiring adopting new educational strategies for digital teaching (synchronous and

asynchronous), which is still an emerging phenomenon in many educational settings.

Despite this overwhelming change in the education system, we are all learning to be

adaptive. From school teachers, to students and their families, we are all trying to at least cope up

with the changes. We need to play our roles and be responsible enough most especially that it is

never easy during this crisis on how to deliver proper and sufficient learning to the students.

The teachers. In this crisis, teachers have shown, as they have done so often, great

leadership and innovation in ensuring that learning of the students never stop, that no learner is left

behind. All over the world, educators worked individually and collectively to find solutions and to

create new learning environments for the learners to allow education to continue. Their role

advising on school reopening plans and supporting students with the return to school is just as

important. Another role of teachers during this pandemic has become way more difficult than during

the face-to-face classes. There may be different online platforms available now, but teachers must

still find ways to be more creative than ever in order to deliver sufficient knowledge to students

most especially that every household has become classroom already. In the scenario of some

countries, there are these teachers being physically, mentally and financially challenged because of

their eagerness to help their students even beyond the scope of their work.

Now that teachers need to multi-task in order to meet the demands of the students, it is just

but proper to give them the respect and salute they deserve. They have the choice to quit the job

most especially that we’re equally unprepared for this crisis, but they choose not to. Even if some

teachers don’t know how to use laptops and other technology during the normal days, they are
trying their best to be able to learn also about using such things just to make sure they do their work

with their best of ability.

The parents/family. Parents were faced with a new challenge to do both parenting and

teaching their child or children. Even with the fact that parents were the first teachers by the time a

child was born, but when their formal schooling begins, they are more of providers. But since the

pandemic started, parents are tasked to do both and make a more oriented support most especially

that classes are now done in households. Lucky those parents who are not working, but to those

who are the providers of the household they are struggling to divide or portion their time in working

and as a teacher-parent at home. And to the learners without an elder or parent who is

knowledgeable to assist or to teach them in their studies at home it sad to say that there is no

learning at all.

It became apparent that parents had to assume full-time role in educating their children and

support their learning virtually. However, not all has the means to push through with the distance

learning. This is true to parents who have attained only a secondary level of education or lower, and

doesn’t have enough knowledge regarding their children’s lessons. And to the indigent families

where parents cannot afford to buy the needs of their siblings such as gadgets, internet connections

or wifi and other things for their learning.

The students. The pandemic has left the students struggling. Students have been extra

challenged to have a new learning arrangement that made it more difficult for them to absorb the

needed knowledge. Reports have been showing that most of students find it very hard to adjust on

the new learning system. There are those that prefer the face-to-face classes because it is where

they can understand their lessons easily.

Even before the pandemic, there is inequality among students already. There are students

who do their home works and researches using the library and some can just use their internets at

home. During the pandemic where learning is mostly done on an online platform, the inequality is in

worst scenario. Students who lacked resources do suffer a lot because they can’t even log on their
classes. Many students lacked one of the basic necessities in education; the stable and reliable

broadband, including the gadget that is needed. Worst scenario on these cases is that some students

are even forced to stop their schooling and even be mentally exhausted and create suicidal thoughts

on their minds.

Education really nowadays, are greatly affected. It’s very clear that schools should be

prioritized to be given help, and is needed to reopen safely soon.

CONCLUSION

An unending challenge in online education during the pandemic has been creating a sense of

community in a virtual space. Students are struggling, and the vulnerable group the hardest way. In

the future where we will be preparing ourselves for the recovery phase, we must need to reflect on

how and when will be the perfect time for reopening schools and universities.

The future is very uncertain. Real changes took place and a possibility that we won’t be

returning to where everything is just but normal is still unclear. Emerging evidences indicate that the

pandemic is giving learning losses and increases inequality. Given the abruptness of the situations,

schools were unprepared for this transition and are forced to build remote learning systems

immediately to at least cover up the problems.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts to set-up supportive learning remote systems, school

closures actually resulted in loss of learning among some students due to inequality. These losses

are found to be evident among students whose parents have less education. Reports have been

reinforced showing that children from socioeconomically advantaged families have received more

parental support with their studies during the school closure period. The pandemic has had serious

impacts on students’ learning and well-being, and that it potentially widens the gaps between

advantaged and disadvantaged children in their equitable access to quality education.

Reaching out to every student is one of the hardest works that the teachers are doing now.

Creating a safe remote learning has always been their struggle lately. However, COVID-19 and the

digital transformation in education systems are very hard to deal with nowadays. Educational

institutions need to provide assistance not only with the students alone, but also to their parents

whom they are with inside the household.

It is very evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has created some sort of educational

disorganization with the government having no firm grip of the educational system. If proper actions

are not taken on time, the whole education system will be stagnant or even collapse. Educational
administrators and policymakers can use this crisis as an opportunity to introduce new learning

modes that can reach everyone, to prepare for emergencies, and to make the system more resilient.
RECOMMENDATION

The wrath of COVID-19 has caused a lot of changes in everything around us. And, one of the

most affected in here is the education system. It is very hard to switch that easy, from the traditional

face-to-face classes to the distance learning. But, as quoted, “Life must go on”. We do not know

when will this pandemic end, but we have our means to atleast adapt on the new normal, to atleast

not be left behind in terms of education.

To the Government. It must create a strong educational system which is applicable to the

learners considering the economic status especially to the less fortunate ones. They must allot

budget for the adaptation of the new normal form of education. The government must create

educational forces for researches and studies to analyze the experience of the learners and the

educators to better the delivery of education.

To the education sectors. They need to conduct trainings and seminars to the educators in

order for them to be able to give their best in teaching the students even at a distance. They must

give enough gadgets or anything that would be of great help to the teachers that can utilize the

teaching and learning process. The educational sectors must have to give equal opportunity and

treatment to the educators as they are all equally unprepared for the coming of this pandemic.

To the teachers. Knowing for a fact that lack of person-to-person contacts, the difficulties of

communication on digital devices, the need to self-organize can become additional challenges for

the learners to absorb new information and keep track of the learning process. Therefore, they must

improve themselves and continue to study new ways and strategies on which will help them to

deliver proper, sufficient and applicable knowledge to the learners amidst this situation. They must

be eager to learn more about the needed and required new technologies that the educational

sectors have launched. The teachers must have to adopt and accept the new normal way of

education because they will be the one to explain the situations to the learners and the learner’s

families as well.
 The Parents. They must have to be more involved in their child’s education compared as to

how they were before. The time has come to ensure that with increased parental responsibility

comes an increased right to participate. Parents must recognize the value of the home/school

partnership and embracing its potential. Parents must know to manage their time in their works,

household task and especially to guide and teach their children. Parents need to maintain, but adapt

the new system of education. No matter what the situation may bring, they must be willing to

atleast provide their best in order for their child/ren to attend the required online class. The way

they will be giving the support to their child/ren will be the motivation of every learner as they battle

the pandemic.

To the learners. Even if how many times we’re going to say that this pandemic is quite a

struggle for them, they must learn on how to adopt on the new normal way of education. They must

have that hope that will motivate them to study harder. There’s nothing wrong to feel a little bit

strange about the changes, but they must not forget to still the eagerness to learn in their hearts and

minds despite this pandemic. Learners must understand and accept the situation and requirements

that they need in their studies. They must be fully aware of their roles and priorities as students in

this new normal.

We cannot fight this pandemic by our own, but we can always win a fight when we do our

part as members of the society. We do not know how long is the duration of this pandemic will be,

so as much as it’s not yet too late to do something, we need to be able to adapt on it as soon as

possible.
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