The current economic crisis is an opportunity to not only learn how to survive in dire living conditions, but also to adopt innovative ways to deal with problems.
One of the major decisions the authorities have taken with regard to using new technology – firstly to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and now to save fuel and reduce other costs – was encouraging people to work from home. Online education was also a topic of discussion during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, regarding which the authorities made many promises and plans.
However, despite it being years since the authorities started talking about promoting, encouraging, and facilitating online education, the country does not seem to have adequately progressed in that regard. Even though online education can be immensely beneficial in the current context – where travelling to schools has become a challenge and the authorities have decided to close schools located in major cities until next week – Sri Lanka is still discussing it.
The matter was recently pointed out by teachers’ trade unions, when Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe noted that online teaching activities conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic period were a failure. One of the main reasons for this, he said, is that parents have been rendered unable to provide the necessary facilities for their children to engage in online education activities. Teachers’ trade unions further opined that directing teachers to teach online is not the solution to the prevailing situation, but that the Government must promptly resolve the prevailing fuel scarcity which will enable the reopening of schools and travelling to schools.
However, online education is not an ineffective concept, and many countries can be seen benefiting from it. It has become ineffective in the Sri Lankan context because of several reasons the authorities have not yet looked into.
Proper planning is the key. However, planning is also what Sri Lanka seems to be lacking. The authorities first paid attention to online education in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic posed a major threat to the people, schoolchildren included. However, despite it being close to two years since initiating the concept, Sri Lanka does not seem to have a proper plan in place to promote and facilitate online education. If the authorities had formulated and implemented a plan or at least a national policy in this regard, why have there been no visible results over the past two years?
In this context, it is important to devise a plan, or implement any concrete plan Sri Lanka has, and take the matter of online education more seriously. The fuel shortages or the economic crisis are unlikely to be resolved very soon in the foreseeable future, and the country can expect transport and resources related issues to persist for some time. Therefore, promoting and facilitating online education should be considered a medium- to long-term plan, and the necessary initial steps should be taken now.
Providing education online is a costly project, which may not be bearable for the Government at this juncture, and a large number of students do not have the facilities or money to obtain the necessary facilities to obtain education online. Those are also challenges that require solutions. That is exactly why the education authorities should start planning now, and identify the strengths and weaknesses Sri Lanka has in this regard. Matters such as how many students would require financial assistance from the Government, and how many would require other forms of support, should be looked into in order to plan what Sri Lanka needs to do in the future, and a nationwide survey could help assess the situation to help the authorities gather the information that they need.
Sri Lanka may not yet be ready to promote and facilitate online education, especially as far as financial resources are concerned. However, introducing innovative and modern teaching methods is a medium- to long-term investment, and therefore, it is not too early to assess the grassroots-level situation and make the relevant plans, if not we will only be placing our future at risk.Realising online education's promise
23 Jun 2022
Realising online education's promise
23 Jun 2022
The current economic crisis is an opportunity to not only learn how to survive in dire living conditions, but also to adopt innovative ways to deal with problems.
One of the major decisions the authorities have taken with regard to using new technology – firstly to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and now to save fuel and reduce other costs – was encouraging people to work from home. Online education was also a topic of discussion during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, regarding which the authorities made many promises and plans.
However, despite it being years since the authorities started talking about promoting, encouraging, and facilitating online education, the country does not seem to have adequately progressed in that regard. Even though online education can be immensely beneficial in the current context – where travelling to schools has become a challenge and the authorities have decided to close schools located in major cities until next week – Sri Lanka is still discussing it.
The matter was recently pointed out by teachers’ trade unions, when Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe noted that online teaching activities conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic period were a failure. One of the main reasons for this, he said, is that parents have been rendered unable to provide the necessary facilities for their children to engage in online education activities. Teachers’ trade unions further opined that directing teachers to teach online is not the solution to the prevailing situation, but that the Government must promptly resolve the prevailing fuel scarcity which will enable the reopening of schools and travelling to schools.
However, online education is not an ineffective concept, and many countries can be seen benefiting from it. It has become ineffective in the Sri Lankan context because of several reasons the authorities have not yet looked into.
Proper planning is the key. However, planning is also what Sri Lanka seems to be lacking. The authorities first paid attention to online education in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic posed a major threat to the people, schoolchildren included. However, despite it being close to two years since initiating the concept, Sri Lanka does not seem to have a proper plan in place to promote and facilitate online education. If the authorities had formulated and implemented a plan or at least a national policy in this regard, why have there been no visible results over the past two years?
In this context, it is important to devise a plan, or implement any concrete plan Sri Lanka has, and take the matter of online education more seriously. The fuel shortages or the economic crisis are unlikely to be resolved very soon in the foreseeable future, and the country can expect transport and resources related issues to persist for some time. Therefore, promoting and facilitating online education should be considered a medium- to long-term plan, and the necessary initial steps should be taken now.
Providing education online is a costly project, which may not be bearable for the Government at this juncture, and a large number of students do not have the facilities or money to obtain the necessary facilities to obtain education online. Those are also challenges that require solutions. That is exactly why the education authorities should start planning now, and identify the strengths and weaknesses Sri Lanka has in this regard. Matters such as how many students would require financial assistance from the Government, and how many would require other forms of support, should be looked into in order to plan what Sri Lanka needs to do in the future, and a nationwide survey could help assess the situation to help the authorities gather the information that they need.
Sri Lanka may not yet be ready to promote and facilitate online education, especially as far as financial resources are concerned. However, introducing innovative and modern teaching methods is a medium- to long-term investment, and therefore, it is not too early to assess the grassroots-level situation and make the relevant plans, if not we will only be placing our future at risk.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!