The Woes of Online Education – What Do Children Feel About Online Learning?

The world has shifted to a new model of online education after the emergence of COVID-19 and the
subsequent imposition of lockdowns. While online learning is necessary in the difficult times of this
grave pandemic, there are certain crucial disadvantages of online education that must be addressed.

Lack of Socialization

One of the primary woes of online education is the social isolation of children across the world.
Schools and universities are not only places of conventional learning but also central spaces for
children to socialize with their peers. Interaction with people of one’s own age is a significant
developmental factor that boosts interpersonal communication and prepares an individual for all
feats of life.
The framework of online education does not allow natural communication among peers. This is
leading to increased mental stress and debilitating social wellbeing among children as young as 5.

Unequal Access to Resources

Online education is a safe mode of learning. However, the resources required to avail online
education services like electronic devices and stable internet connectivity cannot be taken for
granted. People in low-income countries have faced massive devastation in the wake of the
pandemic and can’t afford the luxuries required to uphold an online education system.
This has led to a severe crisis where more and more children are dropping out of school due to
conditions of abject poverty.

Improper Learning Environment

School classrooms are a safe haven for children to escape the harsh reality of their lives and engage
in a fruitful environment of focused learning. Homes with chaotic family interferences or even a
general derision of daily activities can directly hamper the quality of learning afforded to children. In
this way, the unsuited learning environment at home becomes one of the most important woes of
online education.

Focus on Rote Learning Over Practical Application

Despite the recent developments in online education platforms, the gap between teachers and
students cannot seem to be bridged through the online mode.
Online learning primarily targets theoretical learning which favours facts over practice. Teachers can
relay information from one point to another virtually but they cannot engage students in practical
application-based learning. Thus, online education platforms are slowly turning into portals of one-
way communication where one teaches and the rest simply take note and memorize.

Drawback for Scientific Learning

Scientific learning such as that imbibed through experimentation and analysis cannot be carried out
with online learning. A large section of the global population would agree that one of the major
woes of online education is its capacity to accommodate selective subjects such as the social
sciences. At the same time, subjects like physics and chemistry require real-time lab work which
cannot be facilitated through online learning. For example, a medical student cannot learn the
mechanics of human anatomy without studying it closely in a real lab.

Thus, online education has compelled students to miss out on essential classroom experience which
hampers their overall understanding of scientific subjects.

United Nations Calls for Worldwide Reopening of Schools

The United Nations has recently raised the alarm for the growing disassociation between children
and schooling. According to recent reports, more than 80 million children have lost access to online
education worldwide since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
With dire circumstances in sight, world leaders are realizing the urgent need to address the woes of
online education and get children back to conventional modes of learning. Although it is difficult to
manage the fear of a raging pandemic alongside children’s wellbeing, it is imperative to prioritize
education and make it accessible to all.

Manisha Ray

A connoisseur of all things wonderful in life, Manisha is a literature major at Delhi University. She is a keen observer and a quiet thinker.

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