"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," wrote George Orwell in his allegorical novella Animal Farm nearly eight decades ago. The quote still holds true in 2020.
We are in midst of a pandemic. And it has made the fact as clear as daylight that equality is just a myth, even in our education system. It is now evident that in the 'new normal' of online classes, education is not accessible to every student, let alone free for all.
Many students live in remote rural parts of the country where high-speed internet is still a dream. How can they connect to Zoom or Google Meet to attend their classes? Perhaps they can, if they go outside, climb a tree, or travel a few miles to reach a place where the network is strong. But is it possible for everyone, especially during the daytime when the weather is in a foul mood? One can only wonder.
It's not just the division between the poor and the rich. There might be a rich kid in a poor village with no good internet coverage, which automatically precludes her from joining online classes.
But yes, the economic background of students and their families is of more significance in this challenging time. It is beyond imagination for those students who are from not so much financially secure background to be regular in online classes by buying or acquiring the requirements for such classes, such as smartphones, personal computers, routers and paying internet bills every month. Some may borrow money from others or simply sell off their belongings to purchase all the stuff associated with online learning.
However, that is not even an option for everyone, especially those who are already in deep financial trouble after losing their means of regular incomes.
So, it is clear that the country's current socio-economic condition and the infrastructure are not suitable enough for all students to attend online classes. Yet online classes are going on in full swing in every educational institution.
It is true that there has to be one way or another to make sure that education does not come to a halt. So there is no better alternative other than online classes for the time being to make that happen. Thanks to online classes, at least some students can keep in touch with their syllabus. However, it highlights the fact that inequality persists in our education system into the spotlight.
Another lesson learned from this online class phenomenon is that the think tanks are not much bothered about the mental health of the students. Even after several months since going online for classes, it is not a widely discussed topic yet as to how the students, who cannot join online classes, are dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. Not many people want to know how these students are feeling, being uncertain of their career and what's awaiting them ahead. And don't forget that students, who are attending online classes regularly, can also suffer from many psychological or developmental disorders, as well as other health issues.
While we like to call our country 'Digital Bangladesh' with immense pride, this pandemic has made us bow down to the truth that we are still far from earning that tag. Many teachers have struggled to cope up with the changing environment of classrooms in the initial days, and their discomfort in using technology could also not be overlooked. But let's be clear. It is by no means their fault. They needed to be provided with adequate training beforehand so that such a situation could have been avoided.
But where do we stand as an educated society? Are we receiving a proper education to become good human beings? Do we empathise with others?
All these questions also arose in the backdrop of online classes. No matter how uneasy or uncomfortable our teachers are feeling while teaching online, and how many mistakes they are making, we as a civilised society cannot mock them, make fun of them, or publicly insult them. But on several occasions, we have seen clips of teaching mistakes going viral, and facing not only harsh but also distasteful comments by a large number of social media users.
This way, we failed to show proper respect to our teachers, who are the real backbone of the nation.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the frailties of the country's education system lay bare, and we must consider all these lessons so that we will become well prepared before the next catastrophe.
Jannatul Naym Pieal is a BSS final year student at Dhaka University.
