GRACE CHIBIKO OFFORMA
PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA.

Abstract

The year 2020 was the 5th year of the signing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by the United Nations. Most countries are still grappling with the implementation of the 17 goals when COVID-19 Pandemic struck, disrupting education at all levels. Education is the hub of all developments and requires the utmost attention to attain the SDGs. Among the greatest challenges presented by the pandemic was how to adapt a system of education built around physical schools. More than 188 countries (91%) of enrolled learners worldwide closed their schools to contain the spread of the virus. This impacted seriously the learners, especially the vulnerable ones. Most educational institutions swiftly switched over to an online mode of education. They were unprepared and had humongous challenges in integrating technology, providing hard and soft wares, adjusting curriculum and assessment, etc. UNESCO (2020) recorded that the educational experiences of nearly 1.6 billion students of all ages, were disrupted. This calls for repositioning and transitioning the education delivery, to attain sustainable development. While this repositioning entails adjusting, changing, or altering the pedagogy, the tools, human resources, and the environment; transitioning means progression, or simply movement to a higher-level, all-in pursuit of the educational goals. In this presentation, the impact of COVID-19 on education delivery, the challenges, the need for repositioning and transitioning education delivery, and the way forward to attain sustainable development are discussed.

Keywords: Education, SDGs, COVID-19, Technology