21st Century Education Through The Lens of COVID-19

Book excerpt: The COVID-19 is a major health crisis above all other definitions. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures governors and legislatures have called for the statewide closure of at least 124,000 public schools in 48 states and every U.S. territory Given its worldwide impact and the outbreak, most countries out there have voluntarily decided to shut down educational institutions including schools, colleges, and universities. The pandemic crisis is known to crystallize the dilemma policymakers out there tend to face between their decision to close down schools (reducing the chances of social contact, and thus, saving lives) and to keep them open (to allow the workers to continue working towards maintaining the economy). The lockdown of almost all educational institutions across the globe is likely to cause major as well as unequal interruption in the learning process of the students. It might as well cause significant disruptions in internal assessments while leading to the cancelation of periodic public assessments by replacing the same with some interior alternatives. While school closures may be necessary to slow the spread of the virus, they can adversely affect both parents, who might have to take off work to care for their child, as well as students, particularly low-income students, who rely on school meals for lunch and much more The given book aim at discussing the modern education system in the 21st century through the lens of COVID-19 and what might lie ahead!