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Education sector was the first to be hit when the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak began last year as educational institutions were asked to shut days before the total lockdown was imposed across the country as a measure to mitigate the spread of the virus. The government as well as parents were sandwiched between two crucial matters – safety of children and education. Just when schools were on its path to restoring some semblance of normalcy as classroom teaching resumed after a year, second wave of the pandemic has forced its closure, much to the despair of parents, students as well as educational institutions. Everything is back to square one now in Nagaland with the government having announced closure of all schools and colleges, coaching and vocational centres, hostels, etc. in the wake of surge in Covid cases across the country. Luckily, the state was able to conduct the crucial HSLC and HSSLC examinations 2021 in offline mode without any disturbances. The exams could have been postponed or disrupted had positive cases among the students were reported midway. After the Central Board of Secondary Education cancelled its Class 10 examinations and postponed Class 12 exams, some states have taken similar decisions for its board exams in view of the ever-increasing Covid cases in the country. The timely decision of the state’s Education department to conduct the HSLC and HSSLC exams when the pandemic curve in the state had dipped, coupled with the successful completion before the second wave of Covid-19 hit the state hard, helped avoid possible anxiety that could be passed on to parents, students, educational institutions and government alike. For the government, being able to conduct the assessment under cloud of doubt was a success. For the students, being able to write the crucial exams after missing out classes for a year would be fulfilling and the experience could help them go far in their pursuit for success.
However, the ordeal is not yet over for students as the pandemic is threatening to ruin their academic life. Going by the present situation in the country, it appears like education sector will take time to limp back to normalcy. This should not stop education. The widely discussed topic about digital divide widening the learning gap between the haves and have-nots will continue to occupy some space in the public discussion as it is bound to happen in virtual teaching, unlike traditional classroom learning system but our society is surely in a better position to tackle it this time. Schools, colleges, teachers, students, parents and government are richer by one-year-long experience of online education. Public is better informed about the virus, and most students are familiar with online teaching today. Teachers can prepare their lesson plans with relative ease and enhance their teaching methods based on the experience they gained over the last one year and parents too can monitor their children’s activities better. Now, educational institutions should vigorously initiate virtual learning to ensure that students don’t waste another academic year. Adapting to this new mode of learning is essential as online tools will continue to shift the educational landscape long after the pandemic is gone and eventually become an indispensable part of learning process.