Dr. Djuwari
Three days ago, I experienced an unusually long commute home from campus. Typically, the journey takes about 30 minutes, but heavy rain on Wednesday, February 6, 2024, disrupted traffic flow. The Local Meteorology Office had forecasted this inclement weather, which I heard about on Suara Surabaya news while en route to campus that morning.
The journey, which usually takes 40 minutes in normal traffic, stretched to a grueling 5 hours and 30 minutes due to the downpour. To make matters worse, flooded streets and broken-down cars caused significant delays. I even had to stop for an hour at a coffee shop along the main road to wait out the worst of the congestion.
Reflecting on this experience, I couldn’t help but draw a comparison to a typhoon I encountered in Tagaitay City, Philippines, back in 2009. Attending an international conference there, I witnessed the sudden transformation from clear skies to darkness as the typhoon hit. Despite the fear it instilled, I found solace in the bustling activity of people and public transports navigating the stormy streets.
Both experiences underscore the resilience of communities in the face of natural disasters. While the circumstances differed, the sight of people going about their daily lives amidst adversity left a lasting impression. It serves as a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, humanity’s capacity to adapt and persevere shines through
The COVID-19 pandemic brought fear and paranoia, especially with social distancing measures. The first period made us all scared and even paranoid towards this disastrous calamity. Every day, everyone was always suspecting others of being infectious, carrying the corona virus wit tem. And, the most terrifying was the instruction of having a-distancing communication measure among communities.
However, amidst various challenges above, including natural disasters, the most pressing issue today is the lack of accessible technology in certain nations. Education, crucial for navigating societal challenges, faces unprecedented hurdles. Urgent attention and innovative solutions are needed to ensure fair access to technology and innovation.
One of the most serious problem facing education today is the digital divide. As the world increasingly relies on technology for learning, those without access to reliable internet connections and suitable devices are left stranded on the shores of inequality. The pandemic exposed and exacerbated this gap, widening disparities in educational opportunities. Students from marginalized communities are disproportionately affected. They are facing barriers that hinder their academic progress and future prospects.
The pandemic-induced shift to remote learning highlighted another pressing issue. It is such as the inadequacy of traditional pedagogical methods in the digital age. Many educators struggled to adapt their teaching approaches to online platforms, resulting in diminished engagement and learning outcomes for students. As we navigate the uncertain hybrid and remote learning, there is an urgent need in education. WE have to embrace innovative strategies that leverage technology to enhance the learning experience.
The education system faces systemic inequities. These can perpetuate disparities along racial, socioeconomic, and geographical lines. Access to quality education should not be determined by one’s zip code or family income, yet entrenched inequalities continue to hinder the educational journey of countless students. Addressing these disparities requires a concerted effort to dismantle institutional barriers and implement policies that promote equity and inclusion at every level of the education system.
Let us harness the resilience to build a more just and equitable education system. We have to empower every student to reach their full potential and chart their own course in the vast ocean of possibilities that lie ahead.
Dr. Djuwari is an Associate Professor at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya (UNUSA) Indonesia. Surabaya, the editor of some research journals in the Philippines and Indonesia. He is also a journalist in some newspapers in Indonesia; the President of International Association of Scholarly Publishers, Editors, and Reviewers (IASPER), business owner of Djuw Café
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