In today’s article, we will look at a serious matter: Education After The Pandemic. The Pandemic has impacted the lives of many young and older students in various parts of the world, where they are experiencing losses in essential subjects such as Math, Science, and Reading. In addition to these literacy losses, many of these students are suffering mental health problems. This article highlights key methods and techniques to deal with the literacy losses and mental health difficulties, serious educational problems caused by the Pandemic.
Concern During the Pandemic
During the pandemic, educators, parents, government officials as well as mental health and other professionals expressed concern over school closings because of possible negative impacts on students. Yet, many of these adults recognized that school closings were necessary depending on the severity of the pandemic in their particular areas.
There was not only concern over mental health consequences, but concern that disruption in in-class education would lead to loss in learning for young children as well as for older teens and young adults’ education after the pandemic. Studies were being carried out to examine the effects of school closings not only on learning but also on socialization and mental health related to education after the pandemic. Results of these studies were mixed and often inconclusive.
Realization is Literacy Losses
However, today, with the pandemic a distant memory for many, most schools have reopened fully once again. But things are not as usual. Recent studies and classroom teachers are confirming that learning has been negatively impacted for a large number of students in their education after the pandemic. This is not a phenomenon that is unique to North America. Educational researchers are finding that students in various parts of the world are experiencing losses in Math, Science, Reading and other subjects, some as much as 15 and 20 percent. Some students who were having difficulty in learning before the pandemic are seriously impacted.
There is also fear that some students may have a difficult time recovering fully from the losses in literacy they experienced during the pandemic. Some educators are doubtful that these losses are recoverable. Some older students have already made the decision to forgo school. Even when these students may have had an opportunity to complete school work online, they decided that school was not for them. Many of these students may have reasoned that there was no way of catching up on their academic achievements after these literacy losses.
Realization is Literacy Losses in Education after the Pandemic
School boards, education departments, and governments have been considering a variety of recommendations for dealing with these literacy losses. Some of these recommendations include changing the education system, putting emphasis only on essentials, revamping the curriculum to stress more social and emotional aspects of education after the pandemic, getting young people more excited about what they are learning, such as having students play musical instruments during music education, and playing sports during physical education. Some school boards are also considering hiring more educational assistants to work alongside teachers to make school more meaningful to their students in the aftermath of the pandemic, and are putting more emphasis on performative and authentic student evaluations.
But Parents have a Role
While school boards, education departments and governments are considering how to deliver education in ways that would benefit students and reduce literacy losses, parents must also recognize that they too have a role in helping their children to become more literate adults. Parents of younger children often know when their children are struggling and when they need help. Many parents are able to help their young children at home learn to read and do simple arithmetic. When parents are unable to do this because of lack of time, they can often turn to tutors or grandparents to help their children.
Older Teens and Young Adults in Education after the Pandemic
While elementary school students generally follow the prescriptions of their parents and educators, many secondary school and university students are at a stage where they could make their own decisions. While those who are graduating and do not want to lose a year or two may readily follow up with the online offerings and prescriptions of their institutions, other students, especially at university may see this online offering as an opportunity to increase their course load. Other students may experience difficulty following up with their studies, because of their different learning styles. Having the right technology at home to continue their studies could also be a challenge for some students. Other students may decide that the pandemic gave them an opportunity to pick up work as delivery clerks or other essential workers. Some students simply lost hope and dropped out of school, something they may have been contemplating for some time.
At this crucial juncture in their lives, many older teens and young adults face pivotal decisions in their academic paths. Our book, “PREVENTING DROPOUT AND OVERCOMING SCHOOL FAILURE,” tackles the challenges young people encounter. As a young person in this situation, navigate education after the pandemic with tailored strategies to reignite your learning passion, conquer hurdles, and adapt to different styles. Reclaim your academic journey and pave the way for success. Get your copy now and transform challenges into triumphs!
But All is Not Lost for Older Students
If you are a secondary school or a university/college student who is losing hope or who may already have dropped out of school, you need not give up. This is the time to see light at the end of the tunnel. There are many opportunities that are open to you to move ahead with your career, despite the fact you may have obstacles in the way and particularly at this time.
Options Open to You
If you are a student who dropped out and you are feeling somewhat discouraged now, think of the opportunity of learning online. If you are still in school and your institution offers continuing sessions, do not give up. Do the assignments and submit your work as required. If you have already dropped out of school, you would find that there are many opportunities for upgrading. If you dropped out of a course at college or university during the pandemic, check with your institution. You may be able to continue and submit missed assignments, but you may most likely have to re-register for the course.
Online Opportunities
For one thing, a search online would quickly present many opportunities for you to enroll and complete courses that would allow you to graduate from high school. Check for the different jurisdictions and organizations that offer these courses, and see which suits your needs best. Some are private schools and organizations and some are provided by departments of education. There are also many offerings by universities and speciality schools online, where you could complete training under a year in jobs that are currently in demand. Choose an option and stick with it.
Be Consistent
One of the most important elements in continuing or beginning to study online is to be consistent in your efforts, knowing that you would not have the kind of support you would normally receive in an in-class setting. You would have to plan for your study time, and be consistent in keeping this plan. Failure to do this could mean that before long you may lose your momentum and would easily forget about the schedule you may have set for yourself. Therefore, in order to be successful in your online studies, you have to set up a schedule and keep to this schedule. This works whether you are an ongoing student or whether you are just starting out.
Set Up a Support System
You may know ahead of time that you may easily become stuck on the learning process. If this is your experience, and if you have had to stop or even drop out of a course, you need to set up a support system ahead of time. Find someone who would be willing to answer questions that you may find difficult or impossible to decipher on your own. With this support system available, strive to answer the questions asked in your assignment. When you are stuck or when you may feel completely lost, reach out to your support system.
Having a Tutor also Helps
Some students have tutors to whom they could turn. This may be a solution if you are taking specific courses, like Calculus, Mathematics, or other courses that require prior knowledge in which you may be week. Whatever your needs, there are tutors around that could help you overcome these obstacles. Be aware that tutors are often freelancers that charge a fee. Check out for a tutor you can afford and one that can really help you with your needs.
Having Persistence is a Necessary Advantage
Having persistence is also necessary for successfully working online, especially if you have dropped out of different classes or courses before. Persistence is the ability to hold on or continue doing something despite the obstacles that occur. When you study a different subject, from time to time you may discover that it is difficult for you or you may become impatient that it is taking you more time than you want to spend on the subject. It is at times like these that you need to put on your ‘persistent hat’, tell yourself that you can do it and that you will continue to the end.
Patience is a Virtue
Recognizing that most good things take time to materialize, you need to convince yourself that whatever you are doing will lead to even greater good. Although it seems to be taking long to achieve it, what matters is that once you have made this accomplishment, it would be there for all times. Completing your high school diploma, degree or certificate would mean that you have proof that you have reached the end of a course of study and you can move on from here. There are times when the diploma, degree or certificate is what you need for finding gainful employment.
Usually, You Need More than High School Education
This depends on what your choice of career is. If you choose a career for which certification is necessary, the achievement of certification may seem like the end of the line. High school graduation is often considered the minimum qualification needed for employment, with a degree sometimes considered the starting point for some professions. Besides, even after achieving required qualifications, most occupations and careers require continuous learning. Employees in most occupations, careers and professions are required to engage in continuous learning. Taking continuous learning courses is often considered necessary for continued employment. Even without this requirement, it makes good sense for employees to keep monitoring their areas of expertise, for things are continually changing. Consider the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on many careers.
Chart Your Journey
In deciding to continue your educational journey, you are encouraged to decide what occupation or career you want to follow. This is key to determining what to study. If you are not quite sure, don’t panic. Start looking around at possibilities. What do you like to do? Make two lists of all the things you like to do and all the things that you can do. Draw lines between the two for possible links. If you choose an occupation or profession, know what qualifications are needed and what you need to learn to meet these requirements. While you may not want to follow a strictly academic career, there are numerous other paths to success. Think of the new fields that are opening up and the new jobs that you see advertised. Check out the qualifications that are needed to hold these jobs. You may be pleasantly surprised to find new interests and possibilities.
References
Camera, L. (February 9, 2023). New data shows tht just as many students are behind grade level as last year. U.S. News. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2023-02-09/new-data-shows-that-just-as-many-students-are-behind-grade-level-as-last-year
Dhawan, S. (June 20, 2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the time of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0047239520934018
Engzell, P., Frey, A. & Verhagen, M. D.) (April 27, 2021). Learning loss due to school closures during the VOVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of American, 118(17). Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
Li, C. & Lalani, F. (April 29, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how. Retrieved from World Economic forum at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
Moscoviz, L. & Evans, D. K. (March 1, 2022), Learning loss and Student dropout during the COVID-19 pandemic. A review of the evidence two years after schools shut down. Center for Global Development. Retrieved from https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/learning-loss-and-student-dropouts-during-covid-19-pandemic-review-evidence-two-years.pdf
Sparks, S.D. (January 30, 2023). Global academic loss persists nearly three years into the pandemic. Education week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/global-academic-loss-persists-nearly-three-years-into-the-pandemic/2023/01
UN News (January 30, 2023).100 million more children fail basic reading skills because of COVID-19. United Nations. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1088392
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