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Friday, November 8, 2024

COVID-19: Present Approaches towards Child Education

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Dharanidhar Bhatta

The world is falling into the mouth of a pandemic caused by corona virus, which is also known as COVID-19. This epidemic is considered the deadliest epidemic of this early phase of 21st century by majority of health scientists as well as doctors throughout the world. Because of this virus, most of the nations are in the phase of lockdown or are under strict periphery within certain criteria that could stop hampering both the health of internal population as well as national economy of that nation. 

Those groups of children who used to express their extreme happiness at the time of their holidays are being fed up of this vacation. They are physically, psychologically, socially as well as emotionally bored due to this unproductive vacation caused by this unproductive pandemic. Watching TV, using mobile phone, playing video games, sleeping etc have been set as daily routine of most of the children since last nine months (March, 2020-November, 2020) in Nepal. However, the vital factors of development like education and learning that could transform biological human being into intellectual social being are being ignored currently. For this sluggish work of Nepalese government in the sectors of creating futuristic education, strategy in a sustainable way is considered as major issues that have weakened the Nepalese education in this curtail period.  Although their parents, elders are convincing them to study, to learn they are not being able to focus/concentrate their mind in their study. Mentally children are getting disturbed due to increasing rate of this COVID-19. Sitting in a house throughout the day is quiet difficult for them. It is found that there is increase rate of eyes problem in children due to the system of online classes. 

If we analyze the research data of UNICEF, about 150 million children are added to poverty in Nepal due to C0VID-19. This has reduced the number of children who are receiving education, which directly hampers the economy of Nepal in the future. Children of most of the low class as well as lower- middle class families should unwillingly wash their hand with their education during this period. 

 In this situation, questions like what could their parents do to uplift the quality in the education of their children without interrupting the flexible socio-psychological environment of their children in this period of epidemic should be major concern of every aware parents, education strategist and policy makers of Nepal. All the educational institutions as well as educational partners like library, stationary and vocational training organizations are closed right now which have not only brought tension about present condition of students but this has also given a birth to different kinds of stress for their  parents regarding the future of their children. Despite their suggestions, advises, children are not being able to focus their mind in study. What could be the concrete reason for this?

Well there are different researches that are currently carried out regarding these issues by different scholars as well as education researchers both in regional as well as global level. However, as per my experience as a student, I believe that in spite of suggesting and giving advices the parents should involve their children in self-teaching learning process along with themselves. Building a friendly environment with them and focusing their mind in creative tasks like studying, drawing, composing poems, singing songs, dancing, playing games at their home with their children is an emerging need of today. Only by telling them to study, they do not study in reality. If the parents want their children study, thus they must get involved themselves with their children. Teaching them, asking questions, asking about their curiosity matters, their wishes, what they want to do, giving them short assignments, checking that, marking it, giving advise how they can improve their writing skill, what were mistakes, what were the good aspects, telling stories, asking them what they learned, then they get motivated and inspired. 

I strongly believe that encouraging children with money to study well is not a perfect idea as it makes them money-minded. This is also the major reason for the birth of corruption in Nepal. Corruption starts with these kinds of education strategy that parents adopt to make their children study at home without doing any tomfoolery at home. But will they be really educated person in the future?  Won’t they develop the habit of corruption? Well, this is also vital issues that parents should think while teaching their children at home in this period. Rather than buying chocolates or giving money to make them study and take the online class seriously at this time, it is necessary for all parents to motivate their children by praising their performance and marking it, so that they develop the feeling of confidence that they can write better next time. Along with this, the parents should be able to develop a feeling that one should study for himself not for others for the betterment of life. Parents should not do scolding, beating, restricting on other tasks. They should not tell their children not to play, not to watch TV, not to use mobile, not to play video games, but they should suggest them that they can do all these things, but only after studying. Only doing these tasks should not be allowed and complete restriction should not be done. Parents should lead their children simultaneously. For this, they can make division of time like maintaining a timetable. By doing these all the children mind is not forced to think that they are in lockdown rather they will develop the feeling of motivation, inspiration, dedication, support and they can allocate their time and focus their mind on creative tasks. Taking book on hand, reading it, writing on copy, scoring a good grade/marks in the exam not only education but to utilize the learned thing is the real meaning of education. 

 Parents should possess eagle-eyed capacity to teach these things to children. We teach our juniors or children that we have to respect elders but in reality in front of their dad, moms they tease old aged people, they speak nonsense words, treat them rudely but the parents feel joy, they do not know that their own time is also coming for becoming old. Rather to fill up their minds with only bookish knowledge the parents should teach their children what is morality, what is sincerity, what is obedience, what is faithfulness, what makes them a good person, what makes a person to be loved by all, what will make them a right one? Unnecessary scolding, unnecessary beating is very bad but sometimes it is good to beat them because it keeps your child on track. Dear parents your one slap will make your children a good man, it will prevent your child from being a killer, murderer, a nonsense person. By slapping one, you will not lose your child for forever. However, excessive beating, scolding is bad. Parents must assign a work according to their capacity but assigning task behind their capacity is not good. It is said that if the drug is taken in right quantity at right time in right manner it works as like medicine but if the medicine is improperly, excessively taken, then it affects as drug. Thus, minimum scolding, beating showing fear is very important and excessive suggestion, advices are bad. Thus, if the parents want to make their children a successful, a good, moral, sincere, obedient then they must teach right things during childhood. Good culture should be given to the child. I have seen many fathers who tell their children that smoking is very bad but meanwhile they send their children to buy a packet of cigarette in the shop nearby. What could that father teach and what could that child learn from his creator, from his god, from his first teacher? Nothing but he develops the feeling that if his father consumes it, it is not wrong for him to consume. What is the guarantee that he will not smoke in near future? So, good culture should be provided to make one’s children good.

Besides this, the parents should not compare their children with other kids because it develops the feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration in their children. Pointing others good characteristics and own children bad children’s get negatively motivated and inspired. It is the negative way of inspiration. In addition, the children should not be kept in strict discipline. If they are forced to follow each thing, then they only display as if they are following but not following from their inner heart.  Children’s each wish need not be fulfilled too. I am not telling that they should not be given basic needs but some of their additional needs which are not necessary need not to be fulfilled. They should be taught about the value of money. They must be taught that earning one rupees is quiet difficult then spending it. A handful of seconds is enough to spend one rupee but we have to work very hard in order to earn the same amount of money. So, isn’t it necessary to teach our children to respect work instead of money?  Moreover we should try to make them engaged in certain types of economical activities to make them understand the value of money. However, this does not mean that we should treat them as a laborer and go against child right. Teaching something in practical way is for children and is different than child labor. This is the only way to make children understand about the value of money. 

There is saying: “Maze cooked in ghee and a child growing in scarcity never fail anywhere.” Therefore, the parents should not fulfill their every need so easily. Since early age, parents should teach hard work with smart acts to be only path to get success. Well, it is only possible if parents know the relation between hard work and smart work. However teaching the strategy of doing smart work is far better than teaching to do hard work. They must be provided their basic needs; their basic needs must be fulfilled but they should be given the chance to fulfill their additional needs themselves. Then only will the children be capable; they will be able to handle any kind of problems. They will manage disturbances themselves. Everyone is aware about these issues but only a handful of people can display it in practical part of their life. 

[Dharanidhar Bhatta is currently perusing his bachelor degree in Business Management (BBM) from Kailali Multiple Campus, Dhangadhi. Beside business study, Mr. Bhatta has keen interest in the field of literature and anthropology. He currently lives in Dhangadhi. ]

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