In January, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) reported that two-thirds of an academic year were lost on average worldwide due to Covid-19 school closures.
Speaking to FMT in conjunction with Teachers’ Day today, educators related their experiences during the pandemic and how they have had to adjust to the new norms.
Aidelle Pang, the principal of the New Sun Moon kindergarten in Bangsar, said the pandemic had prevented students from learning the “fundamental skills needed for life” as they were not able to fully engage or interact with their peers.
Calling the pandemic an “educational crisis”, Pang said countless children have seen their studies disrupted and are missing out on face-to-face lessons in classrooms.
Pang warned that in the long run, this could see children lose out on the necessary social interaction needed for their development.
“The only challenge we face is to reduce as much as possible the negative impact this unprecedented pandemic will have on their learning and schooling.
“Most importantly, we have to build on this experience so that our children can pick up whatever they have missed out on.”
For Goh Lim Thye, a senior economics lecturer at Universiti Malaya, a more open-minded and innovative approach was needed in preparing content, capturing students’ attention and assessing whether they had achieved the desired learning outcome for each subject.
“Flexibility, innovation and an open mind are key to overcoming the obstacles brought about by the pandemic,” he said.
“I truly miss interacting with students in the classroom and reaching out to those struggling to understand the contents of the topic by simply looking at their facial expressions during class.”
Goh said he had never requested his students to switch on their cameras during online classes as some of them were on (mobile) plans with minimal data.
Meanwhile, Agatha Wong, who teaches Years 5 and 6 English at SK Convent Ipoh, said the biggest challenge for her over the past year had been to get the best out of her pupils.
Wong also noted that the “biggest challenge” during the post-pandemic period would still be online teaching via Google Meet and Google Classroom, platforms which not all teachers may be familiar with.
“It has been a challenge to make sure they acquire whatever knowledge we impart and to inspire them to always try their very best.
“I try my best to motivate my students by communicating with them genuinely, and I try to inspire them with life’s lessons and examples, which I hope will shape their young minds and teach them important lessons.”