Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world. In Pakistan, the current situation of COVID-19 has revealed the systematic flaws in our educational structure.Since the pandemichas spread across Pakistan, education system has been shifted online. The schools, colleges, universities have shifted to online classes by using modern-day technology. The goal is to provide education from home by saving the lives of many from catching this deadly virus. Modern-day technology helps out students in accessing online research papers, E-books, relevant data for assignments, and so on but it hasalso created multiple challenges for thestudents who live in far-flung areas of the countryhaving no internet facility.
One of the positive aspects of E-learning is the usage of technology as it helps students in access lectures, books and courses through internet and provides students with varied educationalmaterial. It also introducesstudents of developing countries like Pakistan to the use of new educational apps for learning. Most of the students in Pakistan faced the kind of topsy-turvy situation due to lack of internet facility, unavailability of laptops, computers, android phones or even the knowledge about operating the new form technological system.
Moreover, it hasbadly affected the students who live in the remote and hilly areas as they have to put their lives at risk by travelling through mountains treks for getting internet accessto attend online classes.According to a survey, majority of students were dissatisfied with online education because they can’t learn well through it.
Undoubtedly, everything has its pros and cons.Online education offers us few of the benefits as itis convenient, cost effective, time saving and technology driven. Besides, online education deprives students from extra-curricular activities, activity learning, social interaction and limited assessment from teachers. The online mode of education can be highly effective for students who are self-motivated, disciplined, matured, well organized, and possess a high level of time management skills. But it is going to be a disadvantage and daunting experience for the ones who are dependent learners and require a systemic approach to proceed and grab something in their life.
There is ongoing debate on whether the online education system is beneficial or not for students in Pakistan.The debate has also revealed a fact that both the students and teachers lack skills or knowledge to use modern-day technology. Most of the teachers in Pakistan don’t even know how to operate apps like LMS, Zoom or Microsoft Teams which is hampering delivery of knowledge. Many students have protested against online education but to no avail since government is not allowing on-campus classes due to severity of COVID-19 cases in Pakistani cities. Online education has further deteriorated the quality of education in Pakistan and there is dire need of making improvements.
Since the threat of COVID-19 persist in the form of waves and variants,it is expected that the educational institutes will remain closed for the time being and modeof teaching will remain online. In order to improve the online education system, there is a need for us to do a lot in thisregard. Proper training of instructors and students is required, to make it a successful venture but we can still assume that the best is yet to come and it can really turn the tables for us and will help us in changing the old education methods on which we are relying for years without much positive outcomes. For Pakistan, online education is a ray of hope during COVID-19.
Online education system can be an effective tool for a student to embark his/herjourney towards excellence. It takes effort to learn new methods and then get the best out of them so, it is a very welcoming change as it has given people the leverage to learn from the comforts of their home and provided them an opportunity to pursue education along with the family and office life.
If we make these changes and made this system better by giving awareness about learning online by home due to different learning app. It should change students’ interest, they can learn easily, and its time saving. This also gives benefit/boom towards literacy rate because the people who are doing jobs and can’t attend classes will make their education complete. The girls who can’t study due to co-education or their families don’t allow them to continue higher physical education can learn from this.