What impact will COVID-19 have on education sector globally?

The last few weeks I have been inundated by calls from many faculty members and students asking me whether the education sector would feel the after-effects of COVID-19. My constant answer has been, yes.

I have also had a discussion with many of my colleagues in India and other prominent countries for education such as The USA and The UK. The response of these discussions are:

1. There would be a big jump in the need for skill-based education.
2. Online, stimulation-based, management game-based education and linking theory to practice and vice versa would become a priority.
3. The demand for online education will increase caused by the desire from industry personnel.
4. Fly-by-night online education providers will increase dramatically at least in the short run.
5. Clamour for online examinations will rise. Initially, this will be around 30 per cent, and gradually stabilise at 50% of the total examinations held.
6. The statutory bodies will be forced to relax the infrastructure needs like the number of classrooms, library books, faculties, etc. In fact, the qualifications of faculties will be replaced by industry experience.
7. Large number of industry personnel especially middle and junior-senior personnel will now be available to teach at the institutes at least till 2023 and 2024.
8. Syllabus, course content will get revised and new programmes like crisis management, disaster management, health attack managements (today it is corona virus tomorrow it could be something else), etc., will be developed and offered as electives.
9. Faculty members will need to keep themselves abreast of newer knowledge, newer methods of teaching, industry trends, etc. Perhaps faculties will have to prepare videos and put greater emphasis on learning management systems, etc.
10. In the short run placements and joining dates for fresh students would be delayed and consequently, students would have to develop competitive skills to get placements. This situation will be relaxed from say 2023-2024 when the effects of Make in India, Make America Great, Shift of industries from China, etc., will materialise.
11. Innovations, R&D will get a big impetus. Health, BioTech and Pharma will see an increase in admissions.
12. In the short run, the classes will begin from say mid-August instead of mid-July, 2020.

To sum up, there will be a new ‘normal’ in the education sector in the post-COVID-19 era. One will have to either rise to the new normal or perish.

About the author

Professor Dr R Gopal is the Director of the School of Management, D.Y. Patil University and also Member Board of Management Ajeenkya DYPatil University.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha