Coronavirus has created a literal panic around the world and has affected every aspect of life. Businesses, gatherings, functions, everything was affected by a coronavirus. Like every sector education sector was also severely affected. Schools, colleges, and universities, all had to be shut down so that the spread of coronavirus could be reduced. With all the academic institutions being closed, students were forced to stay at home with no studies for almost 3 months and when the situation didn’t seem to get under control, online education became the savior.
Coronavirus has changed everything including the conventional style of teaching to online classrooms. Transition to online learning was not the smoothest in Pakistan and caused a number of problems for both the teachers and students. Online education is a way for students and teachers to move ahead with the studies but it also has its struggles.
The decision of shifting to education online saved the future of many students which was at stake because of coronavirus but with this decision a number of struggles also surfaced. The education sector is not the strongest sector in Pakistan and requires a ton of work but with the pandemic, it has been exposed dramatically. With a disparity between Private and Public academic institutions, it became evident as to where Pakistan stands in terms of education.
The biggest struggle with online education is that it requires technology and there are still people in Pakistan for whom technology is considered to be a luxury. Online education brings forth the inequalities and financial differences in our society. According to data gathered by Thesis writing services in Lahore, 24.3% of people in Pakistan are below the poverty line out of which millions don’t even have the resources to send their children to study, and the ones who did somehow manage to send their children to school are forced to rely on public institutions that are incapable of providing quality education let alone online education. Education needs technology that includes stable internet connections, laptops, personal computers, or mobile phones. Everyone can not afford to buy these things and were unable to join online classes, sabotaging their education.
Not every student is bright enough to understand everything through an online portal. Younger students especially require special attention which is only possible in the physical environment. Lack of attention and motivation is one of the biggest struggles of online education. After a long break in studies, it was even more difficult for students to stay motivated.
The shift to online education from physical classes was very rapid. First, the institutions were shut down temporarily and no classes were conducted for more than three months. All of a sudden it was announced that online education will now be a way to continue the studies and it won’t be delayed anymore. This sudden curveball was not ideal for the teachers and students. Teachers found it extremely difficult to adjust to technology. Whether we like it or not, Pakistan is backward in such things and our people are not so up to date with technological advances. It was very hard for students to accept these changes as everything seemed too rushed and they were not able to fully understand what their teacher was teaching them. Teachers had difficulty explaining themselves because they were used to the conventional form of teaching.
Another problem was that developing a syllabus that is friendly for online teaching was not an easy task. Teachers had to remake their syllabuses and had to take up a different approach to teaching the students. Some of the courses require extra attention, physical environment, and practical approach but due to online education teachers had to modify their study materials.
