The face of education has not been the same as prior to the global pandemic crisis. The swift movement from offline to online mode of education has undoubtedly brought with itself relief, better time utilization, staying safe from the virus but also distress, rising eye sight issues, loneliness, loss of social cues and peer learning, especially amongst the young population.
Parents are constantly worried about the aloofness of the child, the lack of participation in social activities, loss of interest in making new friends, or speech delays and lack of interest in making conversations. The constant screen use has taken a toll on their physical and mental health in ways, never thought before. The spread of virus proved directly proportional to the world coming online for studying, conversing, meetings, conferences and what not. They came together but only virtually, leaving them more isolated than ever.
To bridge the gap in education; teachers and educators around the globe constantly tried to upgrade the online learning experience by making the hours more flexible, leaving work sheets online for completion and submission. The ability to connect from any part of the world made it more feasible for every child and parent. It proved to be budget friendly, saving on travel time, escaping from pollution and morning assemblies. The beauty is the class recordings are uploaded and thus available for future reference. The flipside of this luxury is increased screen time for students and young children, loss of peer help, technical glitches and complaints like headaches, eye sight issues, lack of sleep, more brain stimulation than required.
Soon enough the boon came out as a bane, when the side effects started to take the shape of increased anxiety, lack of sleep and human connection in general, apart from the problems mentioned above. Offline learning was seen in a good light, research stating that it leads to better focus during learning and thus less distraction, increased body movement and activity, interest in social activities, speech progression and better behaviour development for the children. Less screen time, better eyesight and fewer headache issues. Teachers are available in person to attend to every child’s problems and assist in learning. The child learns social skills like regulating emotions, building friendships with their own age group, gender sensitization, independent working, self management, public speaking, opinion sharing, so on and so forth.
According to a study published by NEUJEF (2020) during the pandemic on the effect of distance education in preschool children, revealed low teacher student interaction, loss of motivation, and full efficiency cannot be attained both socially and academically. Yet another study by Odabas (2004); suggested that distance education emphasized passivity and lack of communication.
In tandem with the recent research in distance education and the effects on children, UNICOSMOS school took the initiative to start the offline education along with the online mode for all its students. To contribute its service towards the society in its own way the school made every effort possible to make it a safe and clean environment for the little children. Safety standards were enhanced and put in place for the convenience of the parents, faculty and the students. Gurgaon’s best School UNICOSMOS, has the Daikin air filtration system in the school premises. It is the best International school in Gurgaon, as it caters to best practices a school can offer to its current and future students. It is global and futuristic in its approach in the areas of pedagogy, facilities, amenities or providing the best air quality.
For parents, the interior of the school has better air that circulates than in their own homes, because of which the parents prefer sending their children to the school for attending offline classes and being the better and healthier themselves each day. Offline school works the best for both parents and the child. It gives them the required space, time and individual time to rejuvenate and learn each day in the best possible way. UNICOSMOS successfully imparts the truly international experience each day and makes life much healthier for all.