Impact of COVID on Online Teaching Platform: Study on IB Curriculum in Bangladesh

Abstract

The sudden upsurge of Covid 19 pandemic has caused an immense effect in all the sectors throughout the world. Likewise, the education sector is no exception. Many countries around the world have decided to keep the educational institutions closed as an attempt to stop the pandemic from spreading. As a result of the outbreak of this pandemic the government of Bangladesh has declared a general holiday since March 23, 2020. In this scenario, most of the educational institutions have called off their on-campus activities and chose online platforms to continue their academic activities. Although the virtual classes initially began at only a few private institutions, the number started to rise gradually. There is an increase in the number of learners and institutions using the internet to continue the learning journey as the days are passing by. This paper aims to discuss the problems and prospects of online teaching in Bangladesh presenting a comparative picture between the mainstream education and International Baccalaureate curriculum applying during pandemic lockdown. This paper uses Abdul Kadir Molla International School to present a partial picture of the online teaching scenario in Bangladesh. The paper discusses some challenges such as unavailability of digital devices, unstable internet connection, lack of teachers training etc. Some queries, concerns and thoughts along with some recommendations are put before your discussion.