EDUCATION SECTOR
PANDEMIC RESPONSE
WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY
Zahara Ansary dwells on the opportunities that have arisen due to the pandemic
Compiled by Yamini Sequeira
Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and wider industry, Zahara Ansary says: “There has been a severe impact on our economy; and to some extent, various industries and corporates. The SME sector – which accounts for over 50 percent of GDP – has certainly been impacted.”
“But we also see long overdue improvements finally taking place across all segments of society, which is a positive outcome of the pandemic,” she adds.
She asserts that some corporates have been able to make the most of the situation and upskill their employees. This has enabled them to not only survive but also thrive during such a challenging time.
“Companies that outperformed their peers during this period focussed on leadership, employees, technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, a sense of purpose and mission, partnerships and innovation,” Ansary explains.
ONLINE LEARNING Evaluating the impact on education (school and university), she notes: “There has been a significant impact on education – both positive and negative. Those that were prepared and ahead of the game in the education sector were able to move far ahead of those who weren’t.”
“For example, the long overdue investments in technology, LMS (learning management systems) and so on are taking place only now. These are things we’ve seen implemented years ago in other parts of the world,” Ansary observes.
She continues: “Unfortunately, most Sri Lankan students have been unable to make use of the positive impact due to the digital divide that exists and inherent disadvantages in the country – such as infrastructure, poverty, a lack of awareness and so on. University students have also been impacted to some extent.”
Ansary believes that for rural schools, online learning has certainly been a struggle: “Although it’s been over a year since the pandemic began, we still hear of requests for technical tools such as mobile phones and laptops, as these are scarce and at times unaffordable resources for the rural populace.”
“There certainly has been an impact on studies including the efficiency of teaching as well. Inequalities will only grow unless the state intervenes and enables digital access for all,” she remarks.
Ansary is part of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka’s Committee on Education and Human Resource Development. One of its key priorities is to enable all students to equitably access resources.
The pandemic has exacerbated the situation not only in Sri Lanka but in the region as well. This is an area that the government must focus on as it has a direct impact on the economy as well as the country’s future, she adds.
In her opinion, education has changed forever due to the ‘study from home’ option: “Educational technology (EdTech) was always available globally but never used in Sri Lanka. There are many benefits that can be gleaned from the study from home option but that would only be possible if access is available equally across the country to all students.”
“We are a proud nation that provides free education to our students but it must be of a certain quality and available equally,” Ansary emphasises.
She maintains that when the state can enable access for all with the support of telecom providers to bridge the coverage concerns, “then yes, nothing will be able to stop our students from reaching their great potential.”
Ansary believes this will also enable them to pursue an education of choice (in whichever stream they choose) and not be restricted by a lack of access to popular schools, reputed teachers and so on.
Students will even be able obtain new skills and competencies that are in demand in the workplace of today, such as coding and digital skills. This will also help solve the many concerns we have about our education system, she maintains.
Many jobseekers or even students with professional qualifications have been blindsided by online education and a weak job market.
Her advice to them is to “take up relevant qualifications that don’t stall your progress and be agile when looking for new career opportunities.”
She continues: “The virtual world means more global opportunities. For instance, migration doesn’t need to stop because of the pandemic – you can work from anywhere and then move overseas when possible as we have seen with some Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) members.”
FRESH THINKING Another suggestion is to make use of the gig economy, new career opportunities and other options. In her view, new opportunities will keep presenting themselves for those with the relevant skills and mindset needed for the business world of today, and the future – and these necessarily include digital skills.
“Technology is driving changes in careers; and so mid-career professionals too need to gear up and reimagine their career possibilities. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) and CIMA’s Future of Finance research discussed the impact of automation years before the pandemic hit,” she explains, adding that the recommendations have now been expedited.
Ansary also notes that automation, and digital and human skills, have reshaped careers and opportunities.
“About 50 percent of all employees will need to reskill to remain relevant. Data analysts and scientists, digital marketing strategy specialists, process automation specialists, business development professionals, digital transformation specialists, information security analysts and IoT specialists are some upcoming roles that will remain relevant at least until the end of 2025. However, they too will evolve with time and technology adoption,” she asserts.
Commenting on the outlook for the economy given the balance of payments situation, exchange rate fluctuations, and other fiscal and monetary constraints faced by Sri Lanka, Ansary remarks: “It’s a challenging time for us. We will need to brace ourselves for the impact as there will be a ripple effect across the economy.”
“In addition to this, there are also the resolutions taken by various fronts like the EU, which may be followed by sanctions. I’d like to say that we should look at increasing investments and think in a positive light but the truth is the next two or three years will be the toughest we’ll have to face,” she concludes.
