IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN E-9 COUNTRIES

The COVID-19pandemic is started as a health crisis but it has immensely affected the educational sector worldwide. Nine countries (i.e. Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan) which belong to the group entitled E-9 Countries are facing serious hardships due to the outbreak of this entirely new and deadly virus. In accordance with the recommendations of WHO the schools are closed to enforce physical distancing and to slow down the infection rates. In this situation there is no other solution than distance education. School closings have far reaching impact on the learners. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of this pandemic on elementary education in the E-9 Countries. This is a qualitative study. The methodology used is interpretative document based logical analysis. It has been found that the prolonged lockdown and long closure of schools are posing serious threats to the school education system. It has aggravated inherent inequalities in our education system. There is loss of learning opportunities and it is widening educational gaps. It is enhancing exclusion due to location, poverty, unavailability of resources needed for digital learning that are pushing the children on the margins and increasing the risk of drop outs in elementary education.