2020 has been a challenging year for most of us and our student population is not left behind in this struggle. The sudden transition from the ‘ Brick and Mortar’ classrooms to the comfort of a homely environment in a t-shirt and pajama was quite shocking and challenging. The interaction became limited only to a nod, a few syllables, a thumbs up, and a callous, structured teaching way with hardly any room left at all for personal attention. The students missed the masti, the exchange of winks, the pulling of legs, the interactive, knowledge-provoking sessions, and the most awaited lunch breaks. Apart from the students, the parents also had to bear the burden as half of the education responsibility fell on their shoulders. Today the most important question that lingers in the minds of parents and educators is whether the online mode of education gives students the same experience as that of the physical classroom. Research proves that ‘TRANSITION PROCESS ARE THE TOUGHEST’. This period carries with it a bag full of utter confusion, mind-boggling fears, irrelevant questions, uncertainties, insecurities, a series of failures, and frustrations, which literally takes a toll on our mental health. Hence, it would be great if we could sit behind, deep breathe and calmly introspect the ‘PROS AND CONS OF ONLINE EDUCATION SYSTEM’ PROS: TIME-EFFECTIVE:- This mode of teaching is highly beneficial for a busy student. The commuting time in metropolises is pathetic. Also, many courses provide flexible timings, which makes it easy for students to enroll in many courses at a time. COST-EFFECTIVE:- Most of the institutes have started offering separate and cheaper fee structures for online mode. Hence apart from saving on commutation, we also save more in this mode DISTANCE-EFFECTIVE:- A person sitting in America can do a Sanskrit course from India. Similarly, specialized courses in specific areas can be accessible for this mode of education. AVAILABILITY OF OPTIONS:- Students have a plethora of options available. ‘The whole world is open to you’; literally holds true in this case. The students can choose the best courses from the best tutors /institutes. CATCHING UP:- Students can catch up on missed or failed credits. They can clear doubts by viewing the recorded lectures and graduating on time. ENERGY EFFECTIVE:- It saves on energy-sapping, as it saves the short of getting ready, and commuting to and fro the institute. MORE IN LESS:- Many people enrolled and completed a lot of courses during the lockdown period thus managing their time effectively. STRESS-EFFECTIVE:- It saves the students from the stress of waking up early, getting ready, commuting to the classroom, then being bullied sometimes, being watched and judged. The stress that puts you under pressure was not felt unless you experienced the calmness from the ‘WORK/STUDY FROM HOME’ mode, which also helped you achieve optimum health. PRECIOUS FAMILY TIME:- Many broken families got together during covid times. The parent-child gap for reduced. Families got time to spend time with each other realizing how important the family is, which restored social and emotional health in many kids. CONS OF ONLINE EDUCATION:- TECHNICAL ISSUES:- In many developing nations like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, Pakistan, the technological infrastructure is not up to the mark. Students face a lot of problems like network issues, unavailability of optimum gadgets, etc. There’s no network in hilly areas and interior forest areas. ECONOMIC VIABILITY:- Many students who belong to lower-income groups would not be able to buy gadgets like laptops, and even smartphones. 24 million students in India have dropped out of school due to this pandemic. ETHICAL ISSUES:- The most important question looming large is the issue of ‘CREDIBILITY’. Many courses issue a certificate that is not credible in major reputed corporates. Since education should be based on rigor and a grading system, these courses just provide one standard certificate for all. CHEATING/COPYING:- This was the major issue faced by parents and educators. The online education system doesn’t provide a super vigilant system that may ensure a proper check and control method to prevent copying during online exams. LESS INTERACTION/NO INTERACTION:- In the case of many students attending the classroom, it becomes very difficult and time-consuming to attend to the doubts of a single student. Mainly, considering the IB and IGCSE students, where the teaching methodology is mostly interactive, the online study process is ineffective. NO ENERGY EXCHANGE:- A lively, vibrant, passionate teacher who wants to genuinely contribute to the student’s knowledge, cannot give her best and this could be hampered by online coaching. Hence there is hardly any exchange of energy taking place in this online mode of education. SUITABILITY:- After considering all the above pros and cons of online education, I would suggest this mode of education is suitable for- MIDDLE YEARS STUDENTS-Students of age group 12-16 and higher can opt for online coaching as the early foundation is already built and concepts are clear. I would like to mention here that, students whose basics are not clear, would require offline classes SPECIAL STUDENTS:- This mode of education shouldn’t be preferred by students who are special in terms of learning disabilities like ADHD, DYSLEXIA who would require personal attention and a customized approach. EDUCATED AND INVESTING PARENTS WITH STRONG MORALS:- This online mode requires a bit of education on the part of parents as they would be playing the role of educators, and teachers, especially for the MYP students who require strict supervision and vigilance even during online exams. I hope this blog proves useful to you and helps you to decide which mode is suitable for your child. Wishing you HAPPY EDUCATION 😌 REGARDS- DOLLY GOYAL