Introduction
In March 2020, schools stopped offering in-person instruction globally because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has become more and more evident that physical distance will need to be increased for the 2020–2021 academic year and may be continued later. As a result, educational ministries moved instruction and learning online. Especially during the crucial early primary years, research is urgently required to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on learning and teaching. By examining the unique issues in remote teaching and knowledge brought in early primary settings, this study directly addresses this issue. Because learning in kindergarten and the early primary grades is primarily play- and inquiry-based, it was necessary to specifically examine how this change will impact teachers, parents, and kindergarten students. Therefore, my argument will be based on the impact of the pandemic on kindergarten education.
Task one: Literature Review
According to Dhawan (2020), almost every sphere of society, including education, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When nations established lockdown procedures to stop the virus’s further spread, the US and many other regions’ learning environment was closed in March 2020. Several difficulties developed as educators switched from traditional face-to-face instruction to digital platforms for remote teaching, necessitating immediate fixes and modifications to policies and protocols to offer equal and acceptable remote studying to all pupils. “While the United States has historically experienced many natural disasters and economic crises, none have required widespread transition to remote learning or previously made the technology infrastructure available to support this mandate. The global pandemic and school closures mandated in 2020 also have no precedent” (Gyimah, 2020). Research on the difficulties of providing remote education to kindergarten pupils during prolonged school closures is scarce.
Many countries have used the policy of closing schools to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and reduce social contact immediately. The adverse consequences on children’s growth and development soon followed although it is still unclear if halting schools helped limit the coronavirus’s spread. According to recent studies, children’s physical and mental health is in danger when schools are closed because they follow less regular eating and sleeping schedules, participate in fewer physical activities, suffer more stress, and have fewer social connections. Of all the negative consequences school closures under COVID-19 may have on children’s physical and mental health, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization identified disrupted learning as one of the worst effects.
According to Gyimah (2020), After kindergarten finished, just 10% of children continued their daily participation in distance learning, and online learning was unable to replace tasks that required in-person instruction. The authors contend that the online working paradigm needs to be enhanced and should include parent education to involve children in activities regularly. One of the problems operating with kids is ensuring that their development is maintained during such an unplanned environment (Gyimah, 2020). One of the difficulties could be that many growing countries need help with using e-learning since internet connections are a major issue. In addition to seriously disrupting student programs, the pandemic and school holding on put children’s safety and health at risk due to rising child labour and domestic violence. As for the study, the pandemic’s extension of school closures and the inefficiency relative to distance education may lead to an increase in the percentage of pupils living learning in low- and middle-income nations, which was already above 50% before the outbreak.
Notably, technological innovation has become quite relevant from the findings, as seen in e-learning. Another result was that because internet connectivity is such a big issue, many developing nations still need help using e-learning (Gayatri, 2020). It was advised that Non-Governmental Organizations use their resources to enhance internet access in most developing nations to take advantage of e-learning. To educate students and teachers on using E-learning worldwide, adequate training and workshops should be organized.
Task two: Argumentative Essay
The educational field has suffered greatly since Covid-19 spread over the world. The pandemic impacted kids in kindergarten. Numerous other pupils are also affected, especially those with underlying medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease (Imro’ah, 2020). Many decide not to attend class, stay at home, or are admitted to hospitals. Parents were under stress due to the financial crisis. The parents had to come up with the funds to keep their children in school after the unplanned closure of the schools. Parents were worried that their kids would forget what they had learned at school, so they looked for ways to instruct them at home.
Not to mention, many students’ homes lacked access to technology. Most students could not finish remote learning because they needed to afford radios, television, internet, computers, or data at home. The educational programs broadcast on television, radio, and social media platforms were inaccessible to many children. Institutions have switched from an offline to an online method of pedagogy because of the Corona Virus. “The institutions that were previously resistant to change will accept modern technologies because of this crisis. This disaster will highlight the practical aspects of online education. I can preach to a huge group of pupils at any time and anywhere in the world using online teaching methods” (Jalongo, 2020).
“Every institution experimented with different online educational options while attempting to use technology more wisely. Due to the urgent need of the hour, many institutions worldwide have entirely digitalized their activities. The winner during this turmoil is online education. However, two beneficial and harmful outcomes of this epidemic are a blended learning approach and the introduction of new technologies to the educational sector” (Imro’ah, 2020). The health industry developed ways for people to protect themselves against this pandemic despite the protracted closure of schools. However, the kindergarten kids were more negatively affected as they were too young to take care of themselves by following instructions to prevent people from contracting the infection either in school or at home.
The effects of Corona have been particularly harsh for pupils from underprivileged socioeconomic groups, students from rural locations, and students with disabilities. “Students from less privileged socioeconomic groups and those living in rural areas cannot pursue an online education due to a lack of access to technology like laptops, tablets, cellphones, and high-speed internet connections. Because government elementary schools are closed during the Corona season, a mid-afternoon meal is not offered” (Jalongo, 2020). Many children used to attend school because of the midday meal, allowing them to acquire both an education and a nourishing lunch. Children in the Corona era were not given any education or nutritious meals.
Lastly, although there may be sporadic outbursts of creativity, wrath, joy, and frustration, it is unlikely that global homeschooling will generally make up for the knowledge lost during the school years. Nonetheless, various families will likely be able to contribute to their children’s education in various ways. The main distinctions are the amount of available instructional time, the parents’ non-cognitive skills, the resources, and the level of expertise (Imro’ah, 2020). Educating your child about something you may not fully comprehend can be challenging. Also, kindergarten-aged children were still too young to comprehend how studying via the internet could be challenging for parents and their children.
Conclusion
The shutdown of schools because of the pandemic impacted early childhood education. Most pupils participate in online education to stop the pandemic from spreading, especially when face-to-face instruction is impossible. Children’s social and cognitive development was supported in a big way by parents, teachers, and other adults. The implementation of home learning does, however, pose some challenges related to very young children’s capacity for self-regulation, their readiness to use digital technology and educational tools, their parents’ attitudes and beliefs regarding online learning in comparison to traditional learning, and the demands of demanding knowledge and time to accompany the children.
References
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5–22.
Gyimah, N. (2020). Assessing technological innovation on education in the world of coronavirus (COVID-19). https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3670389.
Gayatri, M. (2020). The implementation of early childhood education in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(6), 46–54.
Jalongo, M. R. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 on early childhood education and care: Research and resources for children, families, teachers, and teacher educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5), 763-774.
Imro’ah, N. (2021). The Psychological Impact (Positive And Negative) And Behavioural Changes In Online Learning On Students Using Factor Analysis. Judika (jurnal pendidikan unsika), 9(2), 135-148.
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