Opinion | Kurdistan is not ready for online education

As the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, many developed countries are pursuing online education to limit further transmission of the virus. 

Moving classes online means establishing different learning strategies and more targeted cost-effective policies to ensure successful and affordable learning is in place. However, the reality for developing countries limits the virtual classroom opportunity for millions of children around the world.

Last week, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that students will study the first academic semester online, except for twelfth-graders, who will study at school. The news was widely opposed by many teachers and parents, especially those whose children attend governmental schools. 

Although thousands of families in Kurdistan do not have access to computers and the internet, the reason behind the resistance goes beyond access to technology. The education system in Kurdistan is not tech-based, and computer literacy is not widely included in the curriculum. Even if computers and internet connection were provided, many students will still struggle with computer literacy and won’t be able to use online platforms efficiently. 

I have worked as a capacity-development educator for several years at many universities across the Kurdistan Region. My experience has always been challenging, particularly because my workshops required basic computer skills from students to access job search portals and apply for jobs. Almost every single time, the first 40 minutes was easily lost on basic things such as logins and creating an email address. If millennial students lack basic computer skills, how will older teachers be able to access and conduct online teaching without prior training? The older generation is not used to technology and younger generations need parental supervision for e-learning. 

Virtual learning also requires teachers to track student engagement, or monitor academic progress for all students. When the KRG attempted to end the academic year in June through an online system, thousands of teachers did not participate, and many who did failed to record materials and send them to their students on time. A decision like this may work for some private schools that have international instructors who can provide clear guidance but it certainly doesn’t work for governmental schools. 

While all the above reasons placed a lot of pressure and mental stress on parents, students, and teachers, last week, the KRG announced that governmental institutions will return to their regular working hours as before the pandemic. These two decisions do not work with each other.

Some families have two working parents, and parents play a key role in supervising children with online education. Returning to full-time work will not make it easy for parents to ensure children can attend classes and submit assignments. 

Schools need to be fully reopened with strict protection measures put in place. Reopening schools creates opportunity to invest in education and wellbeing, while taking every precaution to protect students, teachers, staff and all their families is essential. Without in-person instruction, schools risk students falling behind academically and exacerbating educational inequalities.

Shano Barznjy is a humanitarian activist who holds a master's degree in business management, and has trained over 3,000 young people at universities across the Kurdistan Region.

 The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.