Education: Re-Examined in Time of Pandemic

In this essay, I would like to share my insights about education during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is almost a year now since the start of the lockdown, and it looks like this situation will continue indefinitely, especially in those areas where the vaccines have not yet been rolled out. The virus continues to evolve, now with different variants from England, South Africa, Brazil, and other parts of the world. The ability of the virus to mutate means we will be living with it for years to come, needing corresponding vaccines as it morphs. The pandemic put the world in a defensive mode, restricting personal movements, locking down families, communities, and businesses. Consequent to the public health and work challenges, the economy continues to go down, and more schools are closing down. Academic communities are forced to rely on online learning modalities. There is a need to reflect, think, and re-appropriate teaching, which was initially conditioned and molded in the classroom. The situation requires quick adaptation of the curriculum and learning styles to a digital platform. In a dramatic manner and scale, everyone has to grapple with educational change, digital technologies, pandemic pedagogies, online teaching platforms, among others. It presents a daunting hurdle for every learner, teacher, administrator, and all other school sectors. This thinking piece examines the time from the viewpoint of a pracademic who firmly believes that the role of education is to make life better, not just for individuals but also for the world. Educators must not just survive the time, but also play a philosophic part in the evolving situation. Let us take time to observe, reflect, and act on our philosophy and practice of education. Following the simple observation-thinkact process, I present my insights from 1. my existential angst as a learner, 2. my awakened role as a teacher, and 3. the phenomenal reality of information technology. I conclude with my renewed resolve to educate.