Aditya Birla Education Trust recently conducted a survey #BackToSchool to gather insights from students, parents and teachers on their readiness to get back to physical schools. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the world and had a near-universal impact on learners and teachers, disrupting the entire education sector on a large scale. Physical schools were converted into virtual ones and teachers had to undergo a serious transformation in training efficacies. There are ongoing conversations around schools in Maharashtra starting soon. As per the ABET report, 57 per cent of students based in Mumbai will prefer a hybrid learning model going forward.

#BackToSchool survey by Aditya Birla Education Trust was conducted among 1500 respondents including students, parents as well as teachers from Mumbai. The sudden shift to online learning jolted the education system which was not easy for everyone to get accustomed to. Thus, the analysis reveals that approximately 30 per cent of students, 32 per cent of parents, and 44 per cent of teachers found the online mode of learning to be somewhat challenging due to various reasons.

Highlights of survey

• A hybrid model of learning to be the way forward in the education sector
• 89 per cent of the parents believe that hand-washing and respiratory etiquette should be taught properly among the students
• 95 per cent of parents feel that teachers and other staff should be completely vaccinated before students go back to school  
• Over 44 per cent of teachers prefer a hybrid model of teaching for the time being
• While conducting online sessions, 55 per cent of teachers’ have experienced digital fatigue at some point in time
• While studying from home, 59 per cent of the students felt that online learning is tougher and more tiresome as compared to in-school learning

Getting back to physical school:

The survey recognized that 67 per cent of students, 59 per cent of parents, and 64 per cent of teachers prefer attending schools physically provided all the safety precautions are followed. These include complete vaccination of the school staff, regular sanitization of the entire premises, maintaining social distancing, encouraging hygiene among students etc. The initial findings of the survey show that the majority prefer going back to school in case schools plan to reopen.

The study also captured that around 57 per cent students and 48 per cent of parents would like to opt for a hybrid learning model where the students will have to attend the physical classes approximately twice or thrice a week. Similarly, 44 per cent of teachers also prefer a hybrid model of teaching for the time being.

Increased virtual fatigue:

The pandemic has led to a rise in the use of digital devices thereby increasing screen time. With the ongoing online schooling, it should be no surprise that ‘virtual fatigue’ has and will continue to be a serious challenge for many. A whopping 55 per cent of teachers’ have experienced digital fatigue while imparting classes online at some point in time. Likewise, 59 per cent of the students felt that online learning is tougher and more tiresome as compared to in-school learning. 80 per cent of parents are worried about their child’s social-emotional health and would be at peace if life can go back to the pre-Covid times.

Classroom Engagement: 

A strong teacher-student bond not only enhances the learning process but also leaves an enduring impact on the latter. However, due to the entire learn from home scenario, only 21 per cent of the teachers felt strongly connected to the students during the past year. According to the findings, 11 per cent of students feel that online learning is more engaging compared to in-school learning, whereas 84 per cent prefer in-campus learning as it gives them the opportunity to collaborate with their classmates, get their queries solved from their favourite teachers and much more. 41 per cent of teachers believe that the transition from a traditional chalkboard approach to a wholly digital one has impacted the quality of learning. Adding to which 13 per cent of parents think what was lacking among their children during online learning was the zest to study, the motivation, and the healthy competition that usually drives children to set their best foot forward.  

School reopening guidelines and parents’ readiness:

It is crucial to guard the forthcoming generation against Coronavirus and schools must take decisive steps towards eliminating the obstacles in the education of students. Based on the survey, 88 per cent of the parents feel that regular sanitization at the school is imperative. 77 per cent feel that everyone should maintain social distancing properly and 74 per cent of them feel regular temperature checks should be taken care of, by the school authority. 87 per cent of them feel there shouldn’t be any compromise in the universal and correct usage of masks. 89 per cent of them believe that hand-washing and respiratory etiquette should be taught properly among the students. And on top of these, the majority of the parents, i.e., 95 per cent feel that teachers and other staff should be completely vaccinated before students go #BackToSchool.