Ever since the pandemic, schools have shut down in most countries around the world. Teachers transformed to online educators and laptop screens became classroom boards. This massive undertaking has changed the way we look at schooling. Is this the new normal?
Well first, there are two sides to each coin.
Traditional School
Pros:
● Planets influence various factors of education. Jupiter empowers interactions between teachers and classmates. This contributes to social skills, overall confidence & emotional quotient (EQ) of a child.
● Peers inspire each other at school.
● Hirav Shah says ‘Planet Venus inspires creativity, art and entertainment. Venus has a stronger influence in the classroom environment, stimulating learning of new skills.’
● Proximity assists in better understanding of students through observation and behavior assessment. This also helps adapt the teaching style for the benefit of students.
Cons:
● Requires travel and adjustment of parent schedule.
● Traditional schooling is becoming more expensive each year.
● Depending on where you live, you might not have access to the best schools.
● Keeping Covid19 pandemic in mind, safety and sanitation issues are a major concern.
Online School
Pros:
● Less expensive option.
● Access to a variety of learning programs at school level, college level and art related.
● Flexibility in timings & recorded sessions allow students to pursue other passions in sports or arts.
● Safety of children being at home during Pandemic.
Cons:
● Increase in screen time can cause eye strain.
● Many areas don’t have access to good internet.
● Planet Jupiter influences the student-student & teacher-student interactions and understanding. Mars influences electronics. According to Hirav Shah, the efficiency and power of interactions is greatly reduced when Jupiter is aligned with Mars, which is the case in Online Education.
● Teachers used to classrooms are suddenly required to teach online with new methods. Student assessment & examinations are also difficult.
Exploring the psychological side.
The mind is stimulated through teamwork and being in a motivational environment. Online schooling is making it impossible for children to break free and just be children! Online calls/chats may help IQ but might not help EQ. Children are missing their friends, waiting to get out of the house or play their favourite sports. Some are even developing bad sleeping habits.
What the future holds.
The Pandemic is not going away soon, so schools are continuing online education at least for 2020. On the other hand 2021 looks different. The digits (2+0+2+1) add to 5, which means it is the year of Mercury. According to Hirav Shah, planet Mercury affects communication which is best in a combination of environments. So, hybrid learning seems more likely in 2021. Online and traditional schooling will both be considered in balance to promote better learning with safety.
Divyabhaskar North America (USA Canada)
