Our education system was facing signifi­cant challenges before the pandemic. These challenges are now getting that much more daunting.

COVID is primarily a medical problem. But the collateral damage it is causing to the economy, education and social interaction needs to be managed effectively to ensure that the long term adverse effect will be kept as minimal as possible.

The management of the education system is not just the prerogative of the teaching profession or policymakers. Students, their parents, public health authorities and other stakeholders have a right to be consulted and involved before guidelines on how best to manage education at all levels in a time of crisis like the one the country is experiencing.

The NGO Repubblika has taken the initiative to express its views on how the edu­cation authorities are handling this crisis. Repubblika argues that the mismanagement of the education system at this time could lead to a lost generation of young people who may suffer because of the disruption in their learning process.

The challenge that all stakeholders in the education system face is that there are no undisputed best practices endorsed by different professionals involved in education. Who should decide whether compulsory education should be enforced at a time of medical crisis? Should it be the education authorities or the parents, who rely on the advice of their trusted medical professionals?

There is little doubt that students, especially the younger ones, benefit from the social environment that physical schools provide. The effectiveness of online learning varies among age groups. The consensus on children is that a structured environment is required because children are easily distracted.

There are, of course, different individual circumstances to contend with too. Some children may have medical conditions that make their attendance at school an unnecessary risk. Other children may spend time with their grandparents out of necessity, thereby exposing this vulnerable group to life-threatening risks. This is why some countries have temporarily left it to parents to decide what is best for their children in their particular situation. 

Online learning is not the silver bullet that the Minister of Education seems to be promoting. If some students struggled to participate before the onset of digital learning, the problem can now be exacerbated by lack of reliable internet access and technology as well as the inherent difficulty of keeping them engaged and monitoring their progress.

Few educators doubt that online learning is likely to become an essential element of effective education systems of the future. But the unplanned and rapid move to online learning with little training of educators in e-teaching, insufficient technology for some participants and inadequate investment in e-learning tools is hindering the education process.

The government must define the best education strategy in this time of crisis. By not listening to all stakeholders and addressing their concerns, it is failing in this obligation. The divide between the haves and the have-nots in our society needs to be addressed without further delay, especially in the field of education.

Our education system, like those in some western countries, was already crying out for reform before COVID. Our schools continue to focus on traditional academic skills and rote learning rather than on skills such as critical thinking and adaptability.

The short-term objective to ensure that no child suffers as a consequence of disruption in the education system should be the top priority for our policymakers.

The second priority is to re-engineer our education system to make it fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world.