Principal's Desk: 'Students are shaken by pandemic, affecting their overseas education'

In the wake of this pandemic, the education sector has seen a lot of major changes. But to think that the pandemic has made an impact only on India's educational model would be naive. In reality, majority of the countries have actually asked their students to return back to their respective home countries and shifted the classes to the online teaching model. Though this might be better for the safety of the students, but it has had adverse negative effects on their mental health on the other hand. These effects can primarily be linked directly to the changing VISA policies in the wake of the pandemic. The students, already shook by the pandemic affecting their overseas education, are also worried about how the dynamics would be as many countries have been making changes in their policies regarding international students studying there on Educational VISA. Because of these issues, these students, who're spending their semester online, are advising other students against applying to foreign universities. Seeing the current scenario of the present batches who are back home without any security or definitive deadlines, the students now are apprehensive of applying to foreign universities. One of the major factors for this mindset is the fact that the students have to take huge loans for these courses and the uncertainty of their stay in the countries where their universities are based in. Hence, I've observed that now the students have started exploring more domestic options and have started showing an interest for local universities. Somehow, I feel that the students are willing to trust and invest within their own country in a university to a greater extent as compared to what the situation was in the pre -corona days. Keeping this in mind, as per my opinion, we can only do this by stepping forward. The Centre as well as the State Governments should invest more in the infrastructure of Educational Institutions. This is also the right time to do so and to compliment the decision taken by the government to update our Education Policy. One always feels uncertain when facing new challenges but the key to growth is to overcome problems and march forward step by step. Keeping in mind all these factors, it is a great time for the country to develop one of its pivotal sectors for the nation's overall development.(Author Anita Ahuja is a Principal, Suraj Bhan DAV Public School, Vasant Vihar. Views expressed here are personal.)