Of all the sectors impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, education is the most impacted sector. This all-important sector is in disarray and facing losses — the ongoing academic year in Jammu and Kashmir is receiving a hard blow from the relentless pandemic because schools stand closed again; their reopening and holding tests/exams are likely to be challenging. Under the clouds of uncertainty caused by the deadly illness, it is possible that policies and norms about the various aspects of this key sector are changed to suit the new situation.

The recent 'temporary closure' of schools by the JK government attests to the fact that the safety of children from the corona virus infection comes first. And the underlying message from the government decision is that the deadly disease is continuing its remorseless journey with renewed strength. Therefore, safety measures are essential to prevent the villain virus's fast and further spread. But closing the school cannot be seen as an end of academic activities —rather it signals the requirement of extraordinary and exemplary sacrifices and seriousness from teachers and the administration to continue the academic activities despite odds.

There is no short cut or a quick fix solution to the teaching-learning process which is held face-to-face/in person in classrooms. The online classes , no doubt, enable students and teachers to keep educational activities going but with around 90% students not adopting to the online mode—some due to the absence of the digital facilities while a majority of them due to their dislike for studying online—this new mechanism of providing education has not gained enough ground and does not look promising: demotivation and boredom kills the spirit of zeal and fervor needed for  the successful conduct of the teaching-learning activity.

From a child studying at a state-run school to a child at a private school, the Corona virus pandemic, I repeat, has dealt a big blow to their school days and education. And it is widely known that a handful of children from these schools attend online classes because while a child from the disadvantage section lacks digital facilities, the child from the privileged section—having digital devices —has lost motivation and zeal for studying online; the online mode, moreover, renders the teaching-learning process very difficult for a child to adopt to it. It is only a few children who get some amount of learning online.

What is widely accepted is that through the community classes of last year—volunteered by teachers across Jammu and Kashmir and later on seen by the administration as a better alternative—the children, mostly from the underprivileged section, have the semblance of learning. Both the teachers and the administration deserve appreciation for taking that initiative in this unprecedented crisis. The crisis is yet far from over, an indication that education could continue to receive a hard beating till we walk out of the COVID-19 outbreak.

 Schools—private or government run—are finding it tough to deal with these novel circumstances. While the teachers of the government schools have faced numerous difficulties in adjusting to these trying times to hold online or community classes, the teachers at the private schools have to suffer the most. Private school teachers have been asked to rise to the occasion and learn to attend online classes; they have suffered either pay cuts or no wages situation. All this has happened at a time when the virus has rendered millions of people jobless.

Private schools get caught in an uncomfortable situation on fee collection: whether to take only the tuition fee or the entire fee from the students, the question is not easy to answer for these schools. On one hand, these schools are supposed to secure the jobs of teachers and on the other hand, they are supposed to ensure that public does not end up at the receiving end when it comes to fee collection.  Here٫ the government can play a key role : it can well look into the financial stress that the global pandemic has caused to private schools and can find ways to save them from the loss though not at the cost of thousands of students, teachers and parents.

Pertinently, most of the students and their parents are still far from realizing that in these dire circumstances, only online and community classes are the effective alternative for education to remain in picture. Many teachers told this author that only 2-10 students attend online classes. That is not because only these few pupils have digital devices; that is because many others having these devices are not interested in learning. Most students, the teachers said, believe that the administration will either reduce syllabi or award mass promotion, leading to their complacency and care-free attitude. 

The onus lies on parents to ensure that their children receive education –whether online or in community classes. Teachers and administration too need to shoulder the responsibility to their best. If all the stakeholders give their hundred percent, education sector is likely to be on the driving seat; COVID -19 crisis notwithstanding.

(Author is Teacher and Rising Kashmir Columnist. He can be reached on:  Sheikhshabir518@gmail.com )