Rashideen A.

Ahmad

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Challenge

Rashideen Ahmad

Arturo Eustaquio Memorial Science High School

Jenny Rose Maywila

October 11, 2021

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A Reaction Paper: Coronavirus 2019 Quarantine

It was my birthday, March 14 of 2020. I had a good time that day since I was able to treat

my friends and family in Greenwich. That day was special to me because it was my birthday.

Then the globe was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our classes went from face-to-face to

online academic education in a couple of days. Our institution extended our break a week during

this time, giving instructors time to prepare for online education. None of my previous problems

compared to the 2020 pandemic, which resulted in a quick shift from face-to-face to online

education in a volatile, unpredictable environment.

At first, I was taken aback at first since it was so unexpected, and it was my first time

experiencing it. I was anticipating it to be only for two weeks. That's why, at first, I was relieved

to have a break. However, it lasts for weeks, months, and even a year. I wasn't expecting that,

therefore I didn't know how to deal with it at first because I was used to classrooms, whiteboards,

and projectors. I'm accustomed to being surrounded by my friends, playing with them, chit-

chatting with them, and so on.

I was losing hope as the weeks turned into years. What steps is the government taking?

Other countries have already begun to have face-to-face lessons, leaving the Philippines and one

other country to continue with our online classes through laptops, tablets, or phones. I'm pleased

that they've put protocols and restrictions in place to limit the spread of the said virus. However,

the number of positive instances continues to rise. Some individuals are now forgetting about the

virus and are unconcerned about it. It's disheartening to see how, as the number of positive

instances rises, so does the number of mentally unstable people.

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People were confined to their respective homes. Some individuals lose their jobs,

businesses shut, people become sick from the virus, exposing societal flaws, and so on. Many

people were scared, worried, and uncertain. Some saw it as a punishment, while others saw it as

a lesson. Today's world has evolved far from the excellence that it was intended to be. Many

people went wrong and committed unjust deeds for their personal gain, as well as many others.

As I can see the whole situation, it has all been for the better. Many bad things happen,

but once there are shadows, there is light. Many good things also happen within ourselves and in

our society in general. I learned a lot of things during the pandemic which I am grateful for. Still,

I hope the world will be a better place.

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A Review Paper: The Struggles of Frontliners

The only thing constant in this world is change. Every year is a different Netflix series

waiting to happen—different story arcs, different plot devices, and a plethora of twists and turns.

Despite these expectations, 2020 walked up to our faces, smiled, then proceeded to give us a

roundhouse kick to the face. When the Philippines first caught wind of the COVID-19 virus in

China, medical workers were preparing for the hit that our country was going to take. You knew

that it was coming—that change is inevitable—and yet no one could have predicted the massive

effects it would bring to each Filipino’s life. It was the change that called for health workers to

don their suits of armor—Personal Protective Equipment—and to be the vanguard in the

battlefield of our fight against the virus.

Working during the COVID-19 pandemic has put frontline workers under enormous and

unprecedented strain, risking their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Excessive stress,

whether endured for an extended length of time, can have a negative impact on the emotional

and mental well-being of frontline employees (World Health Organization, 2020). They are

overworked, anxious, and concerned since they are responsible for other people's health concerns

as well as their own. Many people are quitting because of stress, an overwhelming number of

cases, and disappointingly low pay/salary rates. Despite their efforts, millions of other health

professionals earn considerably lesser pay and receive less public acknowledgment for their

responsibilities. On the COVID-19 front lines, almost 7 million critical workers are employed in

low-wage health jobs (Kinder , 2020). Their services are available on demand. Their capacity to

rest afterward, however, is limited. Our frontliners are not robots, but rather humans. We should

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think about how they are feeling physically, psychologically, emotionally, and socially as they

deal with this catastrophe.

Many people do not follow community norms, health protocols, and other relevant health

instructions, which has been a source of social injustice for the medical frontliners for many

years (Nyashanu et al., 2020). Many people overlook the existence of these viruses and carry on

as if everything is still normal. Things are not the same, and they will never be the same until we

all work together to end this pandemic. We will not see results unless everyone is on board with

our aim of ending the pandemic.

The greatest way we can help our frontliners is to follow health regulations, wear masks

and face shields consistently, stay at home, and not leave the house unless strictly essential. By

adhering to these guidelines, the chances of spreading the virus to a family member or other

members of society are greatly reduced. If we want things to return to normal, or as near to

normal as possible, we must cooperate and adhere to the standards and regulations established by

the appropriate authorities.

Teamwork is the fuel that drives people to work together toward a common vision. Our

struggle against COVID-19 is being led by medical frontliners, and it is clear that they are all

exhausted. So let’s join hand-in-hand and fight this virus together. With our common goal, we

can defeat the pandemic by cooperating and moving as one.

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A Critique Paper: Education Amidst the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a great disruption to education around the world. Due

to implemented quarantine across countries, students are not allowed to go to school. With this,

schools started to conduct lessons online and moved on with digital learning to solve the global

education crisis. And this has opened up both educational challenges and opportunities.

One of the challenges of digital learning for the middle class and for poor communities is

the lack of reliable access to technology and the internet. For example, whilst 95% of students in

Switzerland, Norway, and Austria have a computer to use for their schoolwork, only 34% in

Indonesia do (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2020). It also poses

difficulties for Filipinos who cannot afford to purchase technological devices or access the internet

due to the pandemic's impact on many livelihoods (Handog, 2020).

Digital learning also gives opportunities to improve education systems around the world.

There are evidences that online/digital learning is more effective than traditional classes. Some

research shows that on average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online

compared to only 8-10% in a classroom (Li & Lalani, 2020). This is because students can take

their time in learning different courses, re-read facts they don't understand, skip unnecessary

chapters. (Dexway, n.d.). Digital learning can also reduce distraction in learning, but it varies for

different students. Having a structured environment in digital learning helps students focus on

learning their lessons (Li & Lalani, 2020).

The Education Sector in the Philippines is taking this opportunity to shape the educational

system in the country. Currently, the Philippines uses a flexible learning system, wherein learning

programs are created based on the capacity of the students, schools, and community (Handog,

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2020). This way, every Filipino student can have access to education no matter what their situation

in life is. With or without access to technology and the internet, Filipinos are given the opportunity

to continue learning.

As the educational system encounters challenges and obstacles, it will undergo significant

change in order to adapt to the changing environment. Now that we are dealing with a pandemic,

which has been the most major hindrance to students' education all across the world. Countries

have been exploring methods to modify educational systems so that students can continue their

education for their futures.

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