THE LOST GENERATION

At this time last year, no one would have thought a simple virus would have such
an impact on the world. Yet here we stand, with so many lives lost, many more
affected and a global economy that has been battered.

It goes beyond that, however. One of the things many people do not really see is
the effect that Covid-19 has on the younger generations and their futures.
The impact of Covid-19 and the measures to halt its spread has created a "lost
generation" of students and university graduates worldwide, with Malaysia not
spared either.

School closures have meant pupils missing out on learning, teachers on imparting
knowledge and a plethora of other problems. (MAIN POINT)

A United Nations study revealed that children from families with weak educational
backgrounds have not been able to make up the loss of learning. Many countries
are now paying a heavy price for their slowness in digitizing schools and
universities.

Even in Germany, usually a beacon of efficiency, many schools have yet to put in
place proper online teaching systems.

In Malaysia, we are not any better, though we may have reacted a little faster.
Many students complain about the lack of online classes, or that they do not have
the infrastructure and equipment to rely upon.

Others complained about having to stay at home. When school started two days
ago for those sitting major examinations, students expressed their frustration at
their earlier lack of activity, saying they became "mentally exhausted", while
others said they lost interest in studies because they had been away from physical
classes for too long.

Clearly, our children are feeling the stress of not being able to attend schools.
When the pandemic is over, they would have lost knowledge, talents, and skills.
What will happen to them? How do we overcome this? What needs to be done?
We cannot afford to have a "lost generation". We need education opportunities that
empower young people, enhance their resilience and reinforce their skills to thrive
and build hope for the future.
We were not prepared for a pandemic that has forced our students to stay home.
We did not have the infrastructure in some rural areas. Many of our children did
not have access to devices on which they could stream online classes.

In November, Unicef said, with health services disrupted and poverty soaring due
to the pandemic, the future of an entire "lost" generation was at risk. It called on
governments to do more to improve the services for the "lost generation", to close
educational and health gaps.

Education, as we all know, is not merely a means to getting better jobs in the
future. It is a catalyst for social cohesion, the progress of society and human
development. When things fall apart, human capital is one of the first things to be
affected.

During this global crisis, we have to push for more support and investments in
higher education to protect and equip our youth.

The government, then, should heed calls to come up with emergency funds and
innovative financing tools to stop education dropouts and the breakdown of the
education and higher education system.

Source:
https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/leaders/2021/01/659522/nst-leader-lost-generation