In early April 2020, in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, 1.6 billion learners globally were out of school, signaling an education emergency. As weeks turned into months, an entire generation of children adapted and conformed to a fractured education system.
In the midst of this growing emergency for children’s education, we felt compelled to take stock of the situation, understand its short term and long-term impacts, and start a conversation on how we need to change this, together. Many questions came to mind… Is the new education policy a glimmer of hope, or a shallow promise? Can online classes replace a classroom learning experience? Is the digital divide easier to ignore or acknowledge? Is learning loss a figment of our imagination?
We realise that there are no easy answers to these questions. But we know that we need to avert this crisis for the sake of our children. This week, let’s start with talking about ground realities, listening to children, parents, field workers and experts, and evaluate what is, and what it needs to be.
