The yearn to return to school post the pandemic

By: Adarsh Kumar

Two years ago, as the world grappled with the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools worldwide adapted to the “new normal.” Their monumental task was to continue educating millions of curious young students. The schools therefore leveraged the power of video conferencing applications like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, which became the primary platforms for conducting online classes.

However, in a lower-middle-income country like India, the shift towards online education posed its unique set of challenges. Approximately 320 million children were affected due to this transition from offline to online classrooms. Some students, often due to impoverished conditions and the corresponding lack of internet access, missed out on one or even two academic years.

For the privileged few, like myself, attending online classes has been a revelation. We’ve had the opportunity to learn many new things about technology through practical application, something that might not have been possible in a traditional physical classroom.

But now, the school have reponed after almost two years. I was yearning for the traditional school experience. The desire for schools to reopen as soon as possible was strong. I waited to meet and interact with my friends. Online classes have their advantages, but nothing could quite replace the joy of collaborating and occasionally engaging in harmless pranks with friends at school.