Question

How has the cover-19 virus exploited the economic inequalities of the asymmetric educational system in the United States?

Answer 1

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the way millions are trained across the globe. New education solutions could bring the much-needed innovation. Given the digital divide, new changes in approaches to education may exacerbate differences in equality. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed the way students are taught around the world in just a matter of weeks. Those improvements give us a glimpse into how education will improve in the long term for the better-and the worse.

With the coronavirus quickly spreading across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, governments have taken swift and decisive steps to prevent a full-blown pandemic. Multiple announcements have been made over the past two weeks suspending attendance at schools and universities These risk-control decisions have led millions of students to temporary 'home-schooling' situations, particularly in some of the most seriously affected countries, such as China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. Surely these reforms created a degree of frustration, but they also inspired new examples of educational creativity.

Most schools in affected areas are seeking stop-gap solutions to continue teaching, but the learning quality is highly dependent on digital access level and efficiency. Just about 60 percent of the world's population is online, after all. Whereas the standard in America may be virtual classes on personal tablets, for example, many students in less developed economies rely on lessons and assignments sent via email. In fact, the less wealthy and technologically advanced individual families become, the more they leave their students behind. Such kids miss out as schools move online because of the expense of digital devices and data plans.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of building resilience to face various threats, from pandemic disease to extremist violence to climate insecurity, and even, yes, rapid technological change. The pandemic is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of the skills students need in this unpredictable world such as informed decision making, creative problem solving, and perhaps above all, adaptability. To ensure those skills remain a priority for all students, resilience must be built into our educational systems as well.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has shown the value of building resilience in the face of multiple challenges, from pandemic disease to severe violence to climate instability and even, indeed, rapid technological change. The pandemic is also an opportunity to remember the skills that students need in this uncertain environment, such as educated decision-making, innovative problem-solving, and probably, adaptability. To order to ensure that those skills remain a priority for all students, adaptation must also be integrated into our education systems.