Despite the pandemic crisis prevail across the world, the learning lessons will create a good impact on our society.
I feel sad for my brother, who is living in Bangalore alone in his flat. He is
supposed to be with my parents and me after his semester exams. However,
the COVID-19 has resulted in our supposed reunion to be snapped off. He is
currently under lockdown, and as a responsible citizen, he maintains social
distancing as far as he could do possibly. But my conscience would not allow me to sympathise, my brother, a lot as there are others across the world too who are struggling even more than him and who also lost their loved ones due to coronavirus. Moreover, I must offer my sincere salute to the medical doctors, nurses and hospital staffs who are steadfast in their vigour and endurance to battle the invisible enemy.
At the beginning of the new decade, COVID-19 has become an unprecedented event. Its’ spread has created a world chaotic. Many countries announced lockdowns which entailed self-isolation of people and shutdown of shops. The personal hygiene practices and social distancing became the prime importance. Masks are the part of the vogue, and sanitizers are a necessary commodity in our daily use. Learning now takes place in online meetings since schools are shut down, and work nowadays are home-based. The busy streets and crowded arenas of bazaars, markets and parks are seen in pictures and photographs.
COVID-19 hit hard the lives of the people too. The economy plunged
significantly. The prominent economists heed an unlikeliness in the revival of the economy. Financial crunch is faced in many countries. Many people lost their jobs, and the most affected among the unemployed are ordinary
labourers and small-scale businesses. In developing countries like India seem to be in a troubling situation as a significant portion of the workforce is low-skilled workers. It is ironical to see that the developed countries like USA and UK have fallen into the prey in corona pandemic. Detected Corona cases are increasing exponentially, and so does the death rates. The world is facing a hard time in dealing with the pandemic indeed.
Every event in life is a learning lesson. We see the corona as an unleashing
invisible evil who has put humanity into crisis. On the other hand, many
people fail to see the changes in ourselves as well as a society due to corona
outbreak in some way or other a good beginning. Let us not misunderstand
that the changes mean not the anxiety and pain but the basic hygiene
practices. This practice is often ignored and neglected in our day-to-day times.
For instance, most of the people do not wash their hands with proper
technique of Ignez Semmelweis, who is a father of hand hygiene. Also, many don’t wash their hands with soap for 20 seconds, which is the ideal time. Many find it lazy and unnecessary to spend more time on proper handwash.
Yet the time comes at the perfect moment to rethink our actions. As the
vaccine is currently not available and takes time to be ready, hygienic
practices ought to be necessary to tackle down the coronavirus. It is adorable to understand that small beginnings lead to significant changes. The scale of precautions and self-hygiene has improved among people. There are few in our society like my father who takes stringent and routinely actions of self- distancing and personal hygiene. My father, from the day the coronavirus has spread outside China, has received particular attention over his health. He continually puts on a mask whenever he goes outside. He applies and washes his hands with sanitizer whenever in need. He keeps a distance metre whenever he chats with his comrades. He even walked back to home in hot midday for one hour after giving his car for repair. Though his odd behaviour is unconventional, his commitment towards his discipline is genuinely inspirational
Many schools shut in many countries after the corona outbreak. Thanks to the
advancement of our technology, learning has not stopped. Suppose the corona
outbreak was back in the 1940s, there would not be any viable option for the
authorities to open schools. This means that students would have very long
holidays with no studies and complete rest at home. It would be just the
students watching grass grow. Even if schools are opened, it would be
extraordinary to keep desks and chairs at a 1-metre distance, and students
find it a hard time for keeping a distance of 5 feet while talking with their
friends. If one sneeze would be a terrible experience as his friends would
isolate entirely like the ‘cheese-touch’ in The diary of Wimpy Kid.
But, this is the 21st century. The classrooms are now in online platforms. With
the help of zoom and Microsoft teams, learning is not stopped. I am a class 12
student in DPS, Sharjah, and my classroom learning is in Microsoft teams. It is
unbelieving that classes are going well and thanks to secure internet
broadband connection in UAE, my participation in class is unwavering. Like a
typical class, classwork and homework assignments are given. Surprisingly, a
particular period is kept for extra-curricular. Like every Monday, I have a
physical education period where my instructor performs some quick and
vigorous aerobic exercises. Similarly, every Thursday, I have a library period
in which my friends and librarian, as well as me, discuss books. One would
read the extract of one’s favourite book and others, and I would second-guess
about the name of the book as well as the author.
Emotional counselling period is kept once a week, and it is a beneficial period
as we students could share our moments and experience in corona lockdown.
This period also has lessons of personal hygiene and preventive causes and
measures against COVID-19 by the medical staffs of my school. There is also a
career counselling period for my class as we are in the last grade of our school
life. This period is mainly discussed about the college admission dates and the
preparation for the college admissions tests such that of SAT and TOEFEL. It
enables me not to lose track of the news of college admissions. Our school
assembly is held in every Sunday where one class become the audience in the
zoom, and another class performs the assembly. It is unthinkable to see the
assembly taking place entirely in the zoom, and I often drift my mind into the
presence of the real atmosphere of assembly in school.
I never thought online schooling would be feasible. I even derided the thought online education with my friends as such schooling would be ineffective and impossible to sustain in the long run. However, I was mistaken. Though meeting and chit-chatting with my friends is not possible, online schooling was parallel to many things that my school has. I would certainly disagree that I did not avail the school ambience and exposure through online because my school DPS did its best to provide the extra-curricular and my teachers did their best endeavour and commitment to ensure the same classroom ambience I had as well as my participation in the online classroom. In short, real learning is never stopped, and my school did a commendable job, indeed.
Every event in life leaves us a valuable lesson. The importance of global
cooperation and unity becomes the clarion call to our fight against the
invisible enemy. In another perspective, the Coronavirus made the world
realise their shortcomings. Revolutions and Social welfare to Technological
and Educational advancements, not the contributory factors for change but
simple habits and day-to-day life hacks could indeed change the world.
Coronavirus has given a chance to challenge a dreading problem with our
most exceptional technology. We indeed made great use of IT technology for
regular schooling and working. Let us, therefore, see the challenges in a good
light and make fighting corona an arduous task.