Covid-19 pandemic hardly spared any sphere of life. It took a massive toll on people’s health. It hit the economy hard and some sectors were even completely wiped out. But education has been one of the biggest victims across the globe, more so in Kashmir where schools were shut for almost two years. The educational institutions were closed on account of unprecedented lockdown in connection with the 5 August 2019 decisions. And when they reopened for a fortnight in March last year year, covid-19 lockdown forced their closure again. Kashmir’s education sector has suffered for years and the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing challenges.
A study by the Centre for Science and Environment indicates that 375 million children, from newborns up to the age of 14, are likely to suffer the long-term effects of the pestilence which ravaged the globe. The issues highlighted range from malnutrition, stunting and increased child mortality to losses in education. Ironically, the global attention to the myriad plight of minors and children has been invisible. The survey says that millions were forced out of school all over the world.
Even at the best of times, the protection of children’s lives, rights and health has to be negotiated around formidable roadblocks, including State apathy. The picture becomes even bleaker for children — especially those on the margins — born or growing up during the pandemic.
Some opinion makers point out that the pandemic has revealed long-standing inattention to children’s developmental needs as basic as exercise, outdoor time, conversation, play, or even sleep. Lack of social interaction is considered colossal. That is especially true for lower elementary school students as learning through social interaction with other children is just as valuable as the academics. Isolation has also affected students in another way. Recent researches point out that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant toll on children’s mental health, especially anxiety, fear and depression.
In many countries like India, the minors are at greater risk of disease, poverty, food shortage and even sexual violence while facing poorer access to basic rights such as education and healthcare. There is an urgent need for holistic comprehension of the overlapping nature of the challenges so as to design appropriate plans. The government needs to carry out an extensive assessment of the learning loss and devise well-thought-out interventions to bridge the learning gap, and ensure that issue regarding dropouts is addressed. There is a need for holistic approach as problems are too complex to be solved by a piecemeal approach.
