COVID-19 Pandemic and Education

Abstract

COVID-19 has been one of the biggest challenges which education systems have ever faced. Distance education solutions have become the ‘mandatory choice’ of countries to maintain educational processes in this period. Concurrently, the long-term impact of distance education on educational outputs and suggestions towards minimizing the negative effects have begun to be discussed. Predictions on the potential increase in educational inequalities after COVID-19 pandemic have become prominent in these discussions. The aim of this study is to discuss the effects of transition to distance education and potential increase in educational inequalities in detail. Steps taken by Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in pandemic and the expected educational transformations after the pandemic are also discussed. MoNE has maintained the educational services via distance education through the digital platform EBA and television broadcasting. MoNE has successfully activated the production potential and human resources particularly in vocational education institutions against the pandemic. After the pandemic, it is predicted that transitions towards digital education platforms will be accelerated, and revisions of educational processes based on the new skills demanded by labor market will be critical. The importance of remedial education is emphasized against permanent effects of inequalities in opportunity particularly in disadvantaged schools.