Covid pandemic challenges: Recovering learning losses and reforming education

13 Nov 2021

Covid pandemic challenges: Recovering learning losses and reforming education

13 Nov 2021

By Sarah Hannan As schools resumed for grades one to five and 10-13, the Ministry of Education requested the National Institute of Education (NIE) to estimate the learning loss caused due to school closures. NIE Director General Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratna stated that the learning loss incurred during 2020 was estimated at 51.55% for the Western Province and 39.7% for other provinces. Whereas for the first eight months of the year 2021, the learning loss estimated for the Western Province stood at 88.5% in Sinhala and Tamil medium schools, and 92.5% for Muslim schools; in other provinces, the calculation was 54.2% in Sinhala and Tamil medium schools and 58.34% for Muslim schools. “When we were estimating the learning loss incurred by the students for 2020 and 2021, we considered only in-person classroom education. Although online lessons were conducted, we did not consider that, as a majority of students lacked the necessary facilities to access online education. However, we have given the liberty for the respective schools to decide on how they would use the lesson plan that we have designed to cover the syllabus based on the number of lessons they have covered through online classes,” Dr. Nawaratna explained to The Sunday Morning. When the NIE designed the recovery lesson plan, priority was given to include segments of essential learning for key subjects, which would cover the missed lessons for 2020 and 2021 within 20 weeks. The NIE believed that if the lesson plan successfully commenced in November 2021, schools should be able to cover the syllabus by the end of March 2022. Meanwhile, when asked about the reforms that are taking place in the education sector, and how the sector would change from 2023, Dr. Nawaratna noted: “We have taken the necessary steps to improve the infrastructure in all schools. We aim to digitalise the school curriculum. For that, the Ministry of Education is working with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, where all schools across the island will receive a fibre optic connection. Once these facilities are in place, we can look at converting the traditional textbooks into e-learning books and modules that could be accessed through a tab. “Once the reforms are in place, then students will not have to carry heavy school bags with all those books, and all they would have to do is access the necessary study material through their tabs. Going forward, the NIE is also looking at designing a module-based curriculum where textbooks will not be necessary,” he said. Explaining further about the subject modules, Dr. Nawaratna said: “For a term, schools are held for about 14 weeks, so a module can be covered for each subject within one-hour sessions per week for a period of 10 weeks. Through this programme, we are trying to promote the authentic learning method, where a student will learn to solve problems. The teacher will present a question and the student will have to find the answer through the learning material or further research.” Reforms in education The NIE also suggested that the present method of exam-based education was outdated, as, in Sri Lanka, students are assessed based on their ability to read, write, and count. While this method of learning and assessing is good, Dr. Nawaratna noted that the level of education in the country should further improve, so that a student who is ready for the future is produced. “The 21st Century needs a creative and innovative child who can think critically and solve problems by collaborating with others and engaging in teamwork, and who can communicate soundly. The ongoing reforms in Sri Lanka’s education system are gearing to produce such students. Rather than focusing on pushing students to somehow continue with higher education and get into universities, we are now introducing familiarisation programmes, where we would guide children to other suitable vocational training programmes after they complete their Ordinary Level (O/L) or Advanced Level (A/L) examinations,” Dr. Nawaratna stated. He also pointed out that for a child who is knowledgeable in using technology and the internet, they can always continue their higher studies later on, through online university programmes. In addition to that, Dr. Nawaratna also pointed out that there are opportunities to find online work through various platforms for people who are skilled in graphic designing, web designing, content writing, and video editing, that can open up revenue-earning streams. “We need to educate our children, who are sitting for O/L and A/L examinations, about these alternatives of completing their education and seeking job opportunities, so they will not be entirely dependent on the country’s Government to provide jobs in the state sector or only depend on the state education system to complete their higher education,” Dr. Nawaratna elaborated. Safeguarding schoolchildren from Covid-19 With schools resuming learning activities gradually, it is important to understand the present Covid-19 situation among schoolchildren, and what safety measures need to be in place to ensure that children do not contract the virus at school. We asked Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) President and Lady Ridgeway Hospital Consultant Paediatrician Prof. Shaman Rajindrajith what measures are in place to safeguard the children from Covid-19. Responding, he noted: “The first step towards safeguarding children of school-going age was to inoculate children with vulnerabilities against Covid-19. So far, we have been able to vaccinate 22,000 such children. We are glad to report that there were no serious side effects in this group of children after they received the Pfizer vaccine.” According to Prof. Rajindrajith, the second dose of the vaccine is now being administered to this group. He also urged parents with children suffering from co-morbidities in the age group of 12-19 to visit the nearest hospital and get the vaccine as soon as possible. He added: “The SLCP has appointed a committee to deliberate on the possibility of administering the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12-15 in the next phase, and we are in the process of finalising the report along with the necessary recommendations.” Many parents expressed their concerns over the vaccine not being made available for children aged 6-12 whilst they are required to attend schools, as they were worried that their children could easily contract Covid-19 from school. We asked Prof. Rajindrajith for his advice. “If the child is following the correct health guidelines when attending school and if we have guided them on how to behave at school during this pandemic period, we can reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the classroom/school. In this case, the probability of the virus transmitting from one child in the primary grade to another is very minimal. Similarly, the virus transmission from a child to an adult would also be low.”

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Covid pandemic challenges: Recovering learning losses and reforming education

Covid pandemic challenges: Recovering learning losses and reforming education

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