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It is not for the first time that humanity has faced the biological threat. Several pandemics that occurred before has left a remarkable history for human life whether we talk about influenza, cholera, tuberculosis, dengue, plague, smallpox etc. But pandemics are unpredictable and cyclic events that may occur worldwide. As education is the most important weapon for every nation to progress and flourish it has to be the priority area in every country. But due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the education system is facing major challenges. There is a major setback to the systematic method of classroom learning further leading academicians, parents and students face multiple issues in adapting to the present situation. In this thematic issue an attempt is made to know how COVID -19 is creating challenges amongst Institutions, Academicians, Students and Parents. It also focuses on challenges faced during technology adoption, education, learning process, student’s engagement and the awareness of parents through the pandemic.

The present thematic issue deals with following objectives under study-

1. An analysis of COVID-19 pandemic transformed and affected the Education Sector.

2. The type of response that the education sector has made to the pandemic.

3. The gradual evolution of improved education sector after the pandemic.

Covid -19 has affected every sector of the society. Among this impact Education sector is also worth mentioning. Education industries are suffering in India & across the world. The COVID-19 epidemic has told us that transition is imminent. But on the other side it has acted as the building bridge for forming eminent strategies and channels that were never seen before in the field of education. The education sector has struggled for a new solution due to the continuation of the crisis and has digitized to eradicate the pandemic threat¹.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is not the first major disruption to be experienced in the history of the world, it has been unique due to its scale and the requirements that have been imposed because of it². While the transition to a distance or an online education has now become a component of many educational institutions around the globe, a series of variables are expected to contribute to the consistency of the educational institutions, teachers, parents and students in accordance with the changes in their emotional condition in a study analyzed and illustrate the issues of pupils, parents and teachers about social exclusion conditions and teachers' and parents' views of remote or online education³.

All India council of technical education (AICTE) has allowanced forty one e-learning platform list by this student can learn easily in this pandemic period. These are SWAYAM online courses, SWAYAMPRABHA, National Digital Library, e-kalpa, e-shodhsindhu, SMILE, NCERT Text Books from class 1 to 12 and many more. Rajasthan government has launched a project SMILE (social media interface learning engagement). This is a digital platform that can be accessed by many other social media platforms^4-6.

Positive Impact:

1. Ascendancy of online Education- Online learning mode offers a more efficient medium for student communication. The soft or virtual mode of communication by students is easy handle. Going beyond the traditional book system creates a wider opportunity for a teacher and the student to engage in easier way.

2. Repetition of weaker students- Students with relatively weak catching power can repeat the videos, watch related matter on YouTube channels and learn the concepts easily even at home.

3. Equal opportunity for all- online mode of teaching is equal for all students, there is no matter of biasness in anyway.

4. Self availability- Any student can control pace, time and venue for learning. It is easy availability for any student.

5. Easy time management- e-contents available online could be accessed at any time.

6. Attraction for students- Current generation students are more attracted towards digital systems than for books and traditional libraries.

7. Refinement in collaborative work- There is a new way of learning for a conjoint working during a different environment.

8. Rise in online meetings- The pandemic has created a massive rise in teleconferencing, virtual meetings, and webinars and e-conferencing opportunities.

9. Enhanced digital literacy- through improved usage of electronic, digital media and communication e-learning material are communicated efficiently and quickly. This resulted in increasing the learning and use of digital literacy. Sharing of information through e-modes like e-mails, SMS, Whatsapp groups etc.

10. Worldwide exposure- Young learners and enthusiastic educators gets opportunities to interact with peers from around the world.

11. Enhanced self study- It provide a great opportunity of self analyse and understand

12. Demand for Open and Distance Learning- Open and Distance Learning mode encourages self learning from wide variety of resources.

13. Development of skills- Students and teachers learn and develop computer skills.

14. Availability of study material- Study materials could be circulated to large group of students in short period of time.

15. Boundless Capacity- As there is no limitation of strength during online teaching, large number of students can attend any class.

Negative Impact:

Education system has suffered the greatest extent due to the outbreak of COVID-19. It has created many negative impacts on education and some of them are as pointed below:

1. Educational pursuit impedes- Classes were suspended for a long period of time. This eventually disturbed the academic year as the continuity in classes was broken. After a huge gap student generally feels difficulty in resuming school again.

2. Unpreparedness of teachers and students for e-mode teaching - Teachers and students were unprepared for online education. A sudden transition from face to face interaction to online methodology makes uncomfortability for students and teachers both. Conducting lectures on e-mode may be treated as one way communication in which students feel monotonous and uninteresting. Online mode of teaching reduces the hand-on practice of students. So, it is the biggest demerit.

3. Parents’ role- In urban area some educated parents are able to guide but some may∉ not have the adequate level of education needed to teach children in the house.

4. Digital gadgets- Especially in rural area many students have limited or no internet∉ access and many students may not be able to afford computer, laptop or supporting mobile phones in their homes, online teaching-learning may create a digital divide among students. The lockdown has hit the poor students very hard in India as most of them are unable to explore online learning according to various reports.

5. Creating a Difference- Online teaching-learning method creates a gap between rich and poor also between urban and rural students. Students from developing and under developing countries found the most negative influence from pandemic as poverty was the major issue. All the gatherings needed for an effective online class like software packages, stable internet facility, computer and its accessories are together costly for such students.

6. Access to the digital world- Another issue with the online learning is that the students are needed to be trained to use the technologies that they are been given. This task requires a lot of time and money consumption which creates a delay of teaching.

7. Impact on employment- the most affected area of students was the employment sector. Most of the recruitments got postponed due to COVID-19. Unemployment rate increased due to this pandemic as many lost their jobs and other were unable to find the new. When the unemployment increases then the education gradually decreases as people struggle for food rather than education.

8. Increased responsibility of parents- There also increased the role and responsibility of parents as they were the only guide for their students. Educated parents were able to help their kids but uneducated suffered a lot. Use of latest technology was a hectic task and such situation puts these students at risk of not being able to fully benefit from remote schooling activities.

8. Accessibility to global education- The pandemic has mostly disrupted the higher education sector.  A large number of students who were enrolled in Universities abroad left those countries and their studies suffered a lot. This creates a decrease in demand of students were covid-19 effect was pronounced.

9. Deprivation from Mid-Day Meal- Government of India has organized a mid-day meal plan programme to   provide     better the nutritional food to school kids nationwide.  Due to Covid – 19 the closure of schools created a serious on the daily nutrition of students as the schools were temporarily been shut. Before this, the aforesaid scheme was centre of attraction for the students to get enrol.

10. Payment of Schools, Colleges fee got delayed- During this   lockdown  most  of  the  parents  will be   facing  the unemployment situation so they may not be  able to pay the fee  for that particular  time periods which may affect the private institutes.  Integrated with a present-day mainstream higher education system.

11. Creating a Difference- Online teaching-learning method creates a big gap between rich v/s poor and urban v/s rural students.

Covid -19 has tremendously hampered the education system of India at all levels of learning. Though it was typical to deal with the challenges at first but eventually the opportunities evolved and rose. The present crises of Covis -19 evolved different open and distance learning programs through updated digital technologies. But we should also not forget that India being a developing country is not very well equipped to make such online learning successful and reach every corner of the country. From the future point of view, virtual classes will definitely contribute to India’s educational growth. Not only in the matter of digital infrastructure but also in terms of awareness among the students and their guardian may led the race. From the study it can be concluded that COVID – 19 has definitely created problems to Indian educational system, the smooth functioning of classroom learning has shifted to online learning leaving educational institutions, students, faculties and parents to go through many hurdles in adopting new technology, virtual model of teaching and learning, managing work and ensuring children are adept and engaged. Institutions can also look at the larger picture to analyze how they could marry the old traditional way of teaching with the modern technologically advanced way of coaching. It will be much easier to cope with the situation if the Government provides better internet connectivity, proper power supply and educate people about the functionality and importance of virtual learning.

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