The education sector is bleeding, too
The ongoing disruption to school and university education and the resulting cancellation of public and school exams are deeply concerning. The government shut down all schools, colleges, and universities on July 16 as tensions began to mount following the crackdown on student protesters by members of ruling party affiliated groups and law enforcement personnel. However, activities at public universities have remained halted since July 1, when teachers went on work abstention to demand reinstatement of their previous pension scheme, followed by students against quota discrimination taking to the streets. As a result of these closures, the academic lives of students across the country have become mired in uncertainty.
It should be recalled that education across the board had been greatly affected for more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts say the setback suffered during that time is yet to be made up for. On top of that, during the first half of this year, classroom activities had already been disturbed because of heatwaves, flooding, and elections. Educationists have repeatedly expressed the need for the authorities to put greater emphasis on recovering from the learning loss caused by the pandemic. But even before that could be done, recent developments have hindered education again.
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Admission tests for the cluster of nine agricultural universities for this academic year, scheduled to be held on July 20, have been postponed, along with admission procedures at other universities. And the same has happened in school admissions, too. The HSC and all equivalent exams, scheduled between July 18 and August 1, have had to be suspended. Similarly, half-year exams at secondary schools could not be held on time, along with other important activities, throwing the whole academic calendar into disarray. The education loss that is occurring as a result, coupled with the uncertainty being brought to the lives of young people, are simply impossible to measure. However, their long-term implication for the nation would likely be devastating.
Therefore, the authorities urgently need to create an environment in which schools and universities can reopen, ensuring the safety of all students. This will require all forms of harassment, intimidation and use of violence against our students to stop. Having done that, the government should consult with educationists and experts and figure out a way to recover the huge learning loss that students have had to suffer from since the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, the government should also talk to the protesting teachers, and ensure they return to classes as soon as possible.
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