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EDUCATION have to be strong and ready for
the challenges that come our
way. It is therefore important to
examine what has changed, what
IN THE “NEW NORMAL” has not changed, and what should
have changed in the education of
our youth at this time of the “new
Rev. Fr. Regie D. Piad, OSJ, PhD normal.”
THE “NEW NORMAL” IN
OUR CURRENT SITUATION like a clock that stopped ticking at EDUCATION
WAS WALKING THROUGH one the moment of a blast. A reminder The COVID-19 pandemic has
of the empty classrooms at St. of when, as our teachers say, the altered the world. It is responsible
I Joseph College of Rosario the world turned upside down. for the rapid and drastic change
other day when I noticed a book, across countries and communities,
like an animal fossil frozen in time. I continued walking and it dawned impacting global markets and
It was like an artifact from the on me that education like our forcing entire towns and cities into
pre-coronavirus past. That book own lives, had to go on. We have lockdown. In turn, it has also forced
was left by one of the students to embrace the “new normal”. millions of students to stay away
seven months ago. It was around As St. Joseph Marello tells the from the classrooms and instead
that time when most teachers, Cooperators and the priests in his access education from home. This
students and school employees time: “we urged you to persevere represents considerable challenge
began to work and study from with generous constancy in the for students, parents, teachers,
home. Classes stopped being accomplishment of this laborious the internet providers, the cellular
administered in schools. Almost ministry. Therefore, with an ever networks and especially the
everything else changed, too. I increasing zeal, spread the good schools.
stopped and gazed around the seed of the evangelical doctrine
school and I let my eyes roam at among your people and be Many countries still lag behind
the empty gym and stage, at the comforted with the thought of in the use of technology in
silent corridors where laughter seeing it produce a fruitful harvest education. The pandemic,
and noises from the students were in every mind and heart” (Pastoral however, has become a catalyst
heard eons ago. They are a little bit Letter, 1894). As educators, we for education worldwide to
