News Update

International Education post-COVID 

The current COVID-19 crisis has affected almost all sectors. There is no doubt that there is an intense financial impact on educational institutes around the world. Universities are planning and shifting swiftly on how they can deal with the requirements of the students and staff members. On the other side, students are also switching their priorities and previous strategies adhering to their engagement in pursuing higher education. Further, we will discuss the situation of schools, student’s applications, and the impact this crisis may bring on international education.

Colleges and institutes closing:-

The temporary closing of the schools and institutions are no longer a disclosure because most of the countries have stopped working in all the places where there is a possibility for a social gathering. A recent report from UNESCO says that about 23.4 million students and 1.4 million teachers of the higher education institutes are affected by the pandemic in America and the Caribbean. As the spread increases, it is expected that other countries and regions will terminate all the face-to-face activities entirely for all the educational institutes.

According to QS analysis, colleges and institutions have taken measures such as:

- 50% of them have started online courses

- 19% of them have delayed or postponed the starting dates of the courses

- 17% have changed the deadlines of the applications for the next admissions

- 13% of them have postponed their 2020 offers to 2021 dates

- 8% of them have introduced their own English language tests

Since the closing of the institutes was an unprepared step taken by most of the institutes and colleges, there are hardly any options than to continue classes remotely or online. However, the governments along with private institutions are taking measures to deal with the situation and are conceptualizing how to meet the requirements of the students and staff.

Universities and Applications:-

Students are arguably affected hugely due to the pandemic. Some are pointless about resuming their studies and some are anxious about their application process is on hold. Universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, and the

University of Pennsylvania have closed their admission offices and centers during this time. However, they can be contacted via telephone and email. Most of the courses in these universities are continued online.

Most of the English language test centers have been closed until further notice. So, international students can keep a regular check on the official websites of the respective universities as universities like Oxford, Cambridge and UCL are regularly updating their websites about the further admission processes. Along with these, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, and the University of Manchester are processing the application for admissions as fast as possible to limit the effect of COVID-19 of admission procedures. For now, the deadline for undergraduates to submit their language proficiency test scores is 16th July. Also, there are no deadline updates for those who are offered graduate courses.

 

The impact:-

? Teaching online:-

Currently, the best and feasible option for the whole education system is to turn online. Most of the abroad schools and universities have started providing online lectures and also admission interviews through video conferences. Teaching with technology will experience a boost with a lot of courses involving 3-D based detailing and remote instructions.

 

? Technology alone may not be the savior:-

With the help of online lectures, international students from anywhere in the world would be able to pursue his/her higher education. Yet, the education system at basic levels will play a crucial role in remote areas. The content in the courses will be given more attention as the reputation may be reviewed by the quality of the content.

? Distance learning may not become permanent:-

A study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) stated that students (across 31 nations) with computers and calculators had low reading and mathematics scores. Since learning post-COVID-19 for international students might be digitized, statistics like these might be considered before making distance learning permanent.

 

? Indication for international students:-

Larger hardships are yet to be faced by the universities as well as international students. Due to different time zones, it will be difficult to make available online classes for international students. A larger tuition benefit may be lost as a result of fewer students from other countries due to visa restrictions.

 

? Students’ financial crisis:-

A large number of international students go abroad to study with education loans or student loans. If they are unable to continue their studies or choose not to return to colleges or universities, then the risk of student loan debts could increase.

 

? Increase in Domestic students:-

The government may release some emergency packages for the universities of the respective countries. Due to the tremendous financial loss, universities and institutes may shift focus on domestic students and increase the amount of intake for several courses. This may also result in introducing new courses for students with lower tuition costs.

 

? Changed education system:-

The pandemic crisis may force the current education system to rethink, re-strategize, and bring drastic changes in the system. With advanced technology, you may get tutored by the best professors in the world in the comfort of your house.

Plan for a better tomorrow:-

There is a big role for the government along with the citizens in this crisis. Students have to cooperate with the institute’s procedures and wait patiently to get back with their studies. Some additional time may be required for travel planning; qualifying security tests and visa procedures once it is declared safe to travel. Until then, there might be significant upskilling and a lot of challenges to overcome for students as well as teachers. In some countries, there might be no severe impacts as speculated by the pandemic experts, and the learning will resume the traditional way.