The Ministry of Education implemented ‘Distance Learning’ project as a measure to protect students against the coronavirus, however, it has had a negative effect on parents, with many suffering psychologically and financially. Some find it especially difficult to slot out time to help their children in the elementary stages of learning online while working and running the household. There are also the financial difficulties of buying laptops with prices rising to KD400 per device. These costs are especially tough on parents with five or six children, Al-Shahid daily reported.
Educational observers said to the daily that the Ministry of Education has forced parents into a difficult situation with their commitment to distance learning, in terms of time and funds. Ministry of Education did not seek alternatives or realistic solutions and only pushed for the schools and institutes to implement e-learning, which is why many parents are being forced to handle additional responsibilities while they grapple with the fallout of the coronavirus on their daily lives.
The daily said, quoting the observers, that the Ministry of Education’s failure to introduce e-learning was not a sole present endeavor, as there were previous experiences that cost the state budget millions without any benefit, most notably the flash memory and tablet project, which quickly collapsed without progressing education.
The only goal these projects achieved was to pump money into the supplier (companies) amounting to more than KD10 million that quickly dissolved. Then, there is the distance learning project, which has not revealed any benefit so far, but has lead to an insane increase in the prices of laptops and iPads, which was confirmed by a number of parents.
They pointed out that the Ministry of Education’s decision to oblige students to follow distance learning, which necessitates modern electronic devices has lead to an unprecedented increase in the prices of laptops and computers. The prices of electronic devices jumped from KD 100 to 400 or more due to the increase in demand, and not all parents can afford them, negatively affecting the financial income of families, especially as every parent has at least two students in school.
Buying electronics at such exorbitant prices is an unreasonable demand, particularly as the e-learning is in force for a short period until education returns to its normal state once the pandemic ends. This is why, it is more appropriate that the ministry finds a quick solution to the dilemma, which is similar to that of other countries where schools have resumed with strict adherence to health requirements.