Essay Example: Challenges of Teachers Reopening of Schools during COVID-19 Pandemic

For education, the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge that runs in its course. World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities have tried to develop measures to contain the spread of the pandemic (Sohrabi et al., 2020). The pandemic has caused a series of defies for learners across the globe. The reopening of schools has posed a lot of challenges to the stakeholders, students, teachers, and parents, with all of them differing in opinions on school reopening. This paper will discuss in detail the social, emotional, and virtual learning challenges, and also new education tools teachers will be required to apply due to the COVID-19 pandemic school reopening.

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High Schools Drop-Out Rates

Studies carried out show that COVID-19 will greatly result in a high dropout of students from school, just like the impact of Ebola on education in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone (Giannini & Albrectsen, 2020). High dropout occurs mainly due to long school closures, which the pandemic has facilitated, making all learning institutions closed (Buckler et al., 2020). Long closure affects teachers and students psychologically and logically. For example, they found re-engaging and re-enrolling very difficult. Here are some other reasons that will facilitate school dropout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis in most families since many parents have lost their works due to the pandemic. Therefore, most parents are likely to be unable to pay the school fees. Parents in the local areas may refuse to send their children to school because they prefer to help them in farms, and also teenage school girl's pregnancy.

Impact on Schools Assessment

COVID-19 has negatively impacted the education board of examination all over the world. Most assessments have been postponed, and canceled, and the examination calendar extended (Black & Wiliam, 2018). With some schools implementing virtual learning, they have also been impacted negatively by IT crush during the examination process. External assessment cancellation and postponement have negatively impacted students because the future occupation of students depends on it. The reopening of school is likely to create anxiety in learners as they are not prepared for external assessment. The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected those learners who study abroad. They can't go back to school or apply for online exams; this will affect their year of study.

Inequality in Accessing Digital Learning

Many countries all over the world have low income among its citizens in terms of education and socioeconomic backgrounds. The uneven distribution of virtual learning resources among different learning institutions has resulted in a wide gap between the have-nots and haves. Uneven access to e-resources and e-learning during the reopening of schools' digital study will result in inequality between the disadvantages and advantages of students (Buckler et al., 2020). Many studies have shown that underdeveloped countries cannot effectively achieve online study during the reopening of learning. This is due to poor ICT infrastructure and distribution in rural areas. Students living in most urban areas are likely to be consumed with the online reopening of schools, unlike the students living in rural areas due to poor network infrastructure available.

Caring for Students by Teachers

Teachers will have additional responsibilities such as, assisting the students to positively express their emotional feelings such as sadness and fear on COVID-19. Schools can facilitate this by providing measures to guide students during creative activities because different students have their way of expressing their emotions. During this time of the pandemic, it's safe to keep students close to their families. If some of the students are unable to reopen school due to fear of contracting COVID-19, the schools should come with appropriate alternative care to facilitate their learning.

Furthermore, the time of school reopening, teachers should ensure that they regularly increase contact with the parents on the psychological progress of the students in school. During this time of the pandemic, students are likely to express crisis and stress; thus, they will seek more demand and attachment to their families (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020). Discuss the pandemic with the students, ease their concern and anxiety on COVID-19 during the first days of school reopening.

Educational Tools Teachers must transmit to during school reopening

Physical distance measures; CDC has recommended six feet apart of students' seats in the class. However, achieving this is very difficult unless the number of students is reduced per class and more classrooms added. Teachers should encourage the wearing of masks at all-time in school by students to prevent the spread. Furthermore, class interaction needs to be minimized and make use of outdoor spaces in the school environment. Special education seems to be more difficult to implement the new measures of learning since IEP will be affected by social distance and likely to interrupt the reopening of schools. Schools will be likely to come with other transport alternatives, signing of seats to students, apply half ways to reduce students' contact, and limiting the number of students on the playgrounds.

In conclusion, teachers reopening schools need to address the issues of COVID-19 prevention of spread among students. Reopening of schools during this pandemic is challenging to everyone since the pandemic has resulted in school dropouts and inequality in accessing learning.

References

Black, P., and Wiliam, P. (2018). Classroom assessment and pedagogy. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 25 (6), 551–575.

Buckler, A., Chamberlain, L., and Stutchbury, K. & Hedge, C. (2020). Minimizing 'distance' in distance learning programs during a global health crisis: framing an international education response to COVID-19. UKFIET.

Giannini, S. & Albrectsen, A. (2020). COVID-19 school closures around the world will hit girls' hardest. UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/news/COVID-19-school-closures-around-worldwill-hit-girls-hardestPfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine.

Sohrabi, C., Alsafi, Z., O'Neill, N., Khan, M., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., & Agha, R. (2020). World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). International Journal of Surgery.