Navneet Grewal

THE MAZE

As the world reeled under the effects of the pandemic little did we know that our routine life would get so seriously affected? Things like schooling, going to work, jobs or as simple as just sipping in your favorite coffee at your favorite café an extreme challenge. Education which is considered the basis for every society, for every organized civilization would be limited to facing a screen passively without any live interactions and that too limited to the wealthy strata of society who could afford Wi fi connections and updated gadgets .In many parts of the developing world where classrooms were just trickling in the form of a thatch or a mat with a painted wall being used as a blackboard. They never knew what hit them when the teachers their unwilling classmates due to gender bias or economic inequality were shunning at the word ‘school’. The future generation our children were jumbled with this disease. As time passed academicians, educationists, teachers all quizzing each other to a sane practical solution to this curfew, this lockdown.

THE ANSWER

Came in the form of online education. Not that it just dropped from the heaven’s distance learning was often used in higher education where attending classes was difficult due to distance, job, money etc. But this was something else. You had to practically get the school to the house of the students, the blackboard to the monitor of the screen, the attendance register to the keypad and much  more . Many discouraged this practice as was technologically challenging to quite a few. But what was the savior, is that this was better than having no education at all. An absolute nil wherein there is just an app based contact with the students and no definite way of feedback or results. Everyone victimized the children pitied them for their inability to experience school life. The joys of actual classrooms, tiffin time, assembly time, games etc .But everyone forgot our man Fridays our teachers who were just given ultimatums to prepare. No cushions just time to get into the grid. Learn, unlearn then relearn .Notwithstanding  their experience, their age couple of them just fired as they were unable to fall in line in skill or in equipment handling.

THE PROCESS

A very gradual tedious slope with its ups and downs. A camouflage of their old self to redress in the online fashion show of apps and worksheets .Even the students who were so glad initially at the unexpected holiday or break from school now were getting sick of the routine. They craved for their classmates for the school for the normal .As it is said that life always deals you a certain set of cards. Now it is you, with your intelligence, your patience, your diligence mould this hand to a winning game or just brood over your bad cards. Eventually with trial and error things seemed to be working wherein teachers learned the nuances of kids cracking technology to their benefit. The common parlance being

“Ma’am there is a network issue at my place..”

“I can’t seem to hear you Ma’am…”

“My google classroom is not updated so I did not get the assignment..”

“If I switch on my camera my network connection develops an issue…”

Loads of technological jargon and excuses .But the teachers have smartened up and so have the students as education is a two way process. The student as well as the teacher need to be hand in glove to attain a meaningful knowledge gain.

REWARDS

A feedback is worth a thousand trainings so the parents in coalition with the school and teachers developed forms for feedbacks. Online Parent Teacher Meets, Google meets, Suggestion boxes to teachers etc. and finally some progress could be visible .Now all the classwork is effectively distributed copies checked online, assessments even examinations conducted with single as well as multiple invigilators all undertaken successfully.

THE ROAD AHEAD

As the need to vaccinate has been amply demonstrated by medical as well as physical evidence more and more people are now turning from

“Why the vaccination”

   To

“I need the vaccination”

In countries like UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, the vaccinations after multiple testing have been approved for kid’s. As of now only the Pfizer vaccination has been approved by regulatory authorities. This is like a ray of hope as after a mass immunization students can be getting back to schools. Back to their routine, back to a stable childhood with classmates, peers, teachers all in safe environments.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCEPTANCE TO THE NEW NORMAL

What is the need of the hour? To accept that Covid is still amongst us, to be aware to take precautions ,make them a routine rather than a forceful intervention. Once they become a habit then only can the students be psychologically and physically prepared to get back to school. They need to understand that although it is easier to be at home doing their studies online but they have to get back into the school life disciplining themselves. Every change is hard, the first one was the hardest when they had to quit school and stay at home to be online. But now they must not let lethargy win over, complacence set in, avoid being laid back. The future of our countries is in their hands so they must with due precautions and care take the step forward to get back to school. Their temple of learning awaits them and so do the teachers who have walked them through diligently, gracefully, so efficiently in this time of need. As parents, it seems a little uphill task as they are anxious to how things will take a turn as schools reopen. With an array of questions for the safety and security of their ward in question. But all improvement and progress happens outside of our comfort zones so with due care and with an intelligent proactive mind let us all take deliberate careful steps towards this new normal. 

THE SLOGAN for the reopening of schools should be:

“TRUST YOURSELF, TAKE PRECAUTIONS , BE SAFE AS YOUR SCHOOL AWAITS YOU” 

About the author

Navneet Gill Grewal is a psychology graduate and a qualified language teacher from Chandigarh (Punjab). She took to counseling and teaching high school students and has had enriching experiences of varied kinds for six years now. Having edited and written in various school magazines as well as station journals writing has been an essential part of her sojourn. Travelled widely in India as well as abroad she cherishes the vivid cultures, customs and values hoping to pen her experiences and imbibe their diverse yet harmonious nature.

She’s also a poet and her slogan in life is to create “Writings embalmed with experience, bundled with love”