ONLINE EDUCATION - YAY or NAY

COVID-19 has bought so many challenges to the world as we know it. Loss of jobs, loss of relationships, loss of life, are just some of the negative effects that we have all had to endure because of this Pandemic.

Here in Barbados, although we have been blessed enough to not experience the extensive amounts of loss of life that were experienced in other nations, we too have had our challenges, and Barbadians are still in the process of trying to put the pieces back together, in the hopes that we can soon return to some form of normalcy.

One of the major areas that Barbadians seem to be most worried about, is the wellbeing of our children. The educational system has been unexpectedly hit with the need to go from our traditional in-house, face to face structure, which we have known and loved forever, to this new online format that was required to ensure the safety of our children, our families and Barbadian society as a whole.

All over social media we hear people's opinions on the current online schooling situation and its possible effects on our children, however I just wanted to throw something in the mix.

There have always been stresses related to educating our youth. These issues have not arisen strictly because of the pandemic. Teachers have always been speaking about the students' lack of interest, participation and overall motivation in class, while students have always felt like the work was too much. Parents have always wondered why teachers didn't do more to ensure the success of their children, while teachers always wondered why parents didn’t do more to reinforce the topics while the students were at home.

These challenges have always existed, so I am always in awe, when I see that people are surprised that they have continued to occur during this online environment, and on top of that ,new issues have arisen that result from nothing more than a lack of knowledge or understanding, by all parties involved, (teachers, parents and children), of what needed to be done to EFFECTIVELY manage this online reality.

It is easy to cast the blame on someone else, but it is a true indication of progress, development and growth, when we are able to humble ourselves and look at what we have done wrong, or how we may have fallen short as it relates to our roles and responsibilities.

The exhibition of tolerance, humility, and the ability to be honest with ourselves while showing understanding towards those around us, is the only way that we can get past these challenges and not only have a successful experience with online learning, but also with our Educational System going forward.

We all have roles and responsibilities we must know and understand what they are and work within those parameters, otherwise we will all be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, and still hoping for a successful ending.