The existing national education policy, formulated some 10 years ago, has been in need of revamping for quite some time. To that end, it is encouraging to see the education minister announce that the government has taken steps to reform education at all levels under an integrated education law.
Alongside the usual focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, it is time to make education adapt to, and anticipate, the needs of the future.
The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the world into disarray, and we simply do not know how many of these changes to our environment are here to stay for the long haul. Everything has changed -- from the way classes are conducted, to the way businesses operate, to the way news media functions. Even if the pandemic were to end fully, taking us back to the old normal, there is no stopping the progress of technology, which will keep changing the way we do things.
In that regard, for better or for worse, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for change, and the education sector simply must keep up, or perish.
There is, then, the need to stress the importance of online education. Sufficient investment is needed to ensure that this is possible. The lack of access to a computer or an internet connection is still preventing large segments of the population to learn online. Computer and IT skills must also be emphasized as a core part of the curriculum.
Digital literacy, in today’s world, is not just for professionals or students in certain tech-oriented fields. From commerce to the fine arts, it has become an imperative across the board.
