The New Normal and Bangladesh: A paradigm shift in Education,
Relationships and Mental Health.
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very first confirmed death case of COVID-19 dates back to 11 January 2020 in
Wuhan of China [1]. In Bangladesh, the first death was recorded on 18 March
2020 in Dhaka [2]. Since then, neither the infection rate nor the death toll has
notably slowed down till now. The fluctuating death rate accompanied by loads
of fake news regarding the noble virus has caused severe disruption in the
daily life of people all over the world. While there is still no certified
medication to treat the virus, the only preventive measures that proved to be
effective against it are Physical Distancing and Lockdown. In an attempt to be
physically protected from the virus, people have been extensively exposed to a
cessation of face-to-face interaction which is against general human behavior.
The pursuit of physical safety has led some of the population towards mental
distress. Mental health, the most important aspect of human wellbeing is
seriously distorted right now and experts predict that its effects are going to
be clearly visible in the upcoming future. Along with the word ‘future’, comes
the word ‘education’ in mind. The COVID-19 pandemic if has severely slowed down
any sector causing irreparable loss that is the education sector. All
educational institutions have suspended physical interacting classes for an indefinite
period since the imposing of lockdown. However, alternative means of education
are being adopted nationwide to a limited extent. Considering the current
scenario, it is distinctly evident that COVID-19 has broken the status quo of
doing things in traditional ways resulting in an overhaul, currently termed as
‘The New Normal’, in almost every existent sector.
Educational institutions have remained closed from March 17 till date. No
matter how much we hate assignments, quizzes and exams, none can deny the
emotional attachment with their respective school, college, or university. The
sudden closure of these institutions has put the education sector in a complete
halt. To tackle this situation, capable institutions started conducting virtual
classes via different online platforms. Though it is a very timely step, it has
some limitations too. First, popular online platforms for conducting classes
require good bandwidth and a compatible device. Since a lot of students had to
go to their villages, adequate bandwidth to join classes is not available to
most of them despite having the necessary devices. Second, the price of the
internet is high. As the family income has ceased due to lockdown, not everyone
can manage the money required to buy the internet. Moreover, where families are
shifting from cities to villages for economic survival, online education at
this much cost with no immediate monetary benefits may seem like a luxury to many
individuals. This is just a glimpse of the knowledge dissemination part. Exams,
results, internships, research projects are also acutely affected with no
possibility to be resumed at a full pace anytime soon. Right now, only flexible
and feasibly tailored solutions by concerned authorities can reenergize the
rusting backbone of the nation.
Humans are social beings.
Socialization begins by building
relationships with family, peers and others around us. While it may seem like
the lockdown has created an opportunity to finally be able to spend some
quality time with family and build better relationships, it is not the whole
picture. In many cases around the country, we have witnessed disheartening
situations that have left us speechless. In Shunamganj, a 90-year-old mother
was thrown out of her own home, just for being a COVID-19 suspect [3]. Another
incident in Tangail came to light, where a mother who was in her fifties, had
been abandoned by her sons and daughters in a forest [3]. We also heard the story
of a father in Pabna, who was kept completely isolated in a room to die without
food. He was an asthma patient; later his COVID-19 test report came out
negative [4]. In numerous instances, we have witnessed that the family members
did not want to take the dead bodies of fathers or mothers who spent their
entire life working and caring for others [5]. This is just one side of the
coin which has shown us the harsh reality of life where everyone exists for
themselves. The other side is brighter. The country has seen commendable initiatives
by various youth powered organizations and individuals who came forward
alongside the Government to extend their helping hands towards people in
distress. Capable individuals, youths, voluntary organizations and business
owners have facilitated relief programs, emergency oxygen supply, collection and
burial of deceased COVID-19 patients and many more humane things. One
interesting phenomenon the country has been fortunate to observe was that a group
of some Muslim volunteers carried out all the cremation rituals of an infected
Hindu father whose family refused to do the last honor . Even the ‘Mukhagni’
which is considered to be the righteous deed for the close blood, was done by a
Muslim man [6]. Amid all horrible things, news like this is more than enough to
feel proud of being a human. The pandemic has once again reminded us of the
pearl of wisdom by Rumi, “In every religion there is love, yet love knows no
religion”.
Viscusi in his study ‘The Value of
Risks to Life and Health’ (1993) concluded that it is a common tendency among
humans to overestimate the
negative consequences of an unfavorable event but underestimate the positive consequences
of favorable ones [7]. That means we do not tend to have a rosier projection of
future even if we have everything under control however, when something
unexpected happens around us, we inflate the issue and perceive it to be more
dangerous than it actually is. This has been proved true once again during the
COVID-19 attack. In the beginning, most of us did not imagine that the
situation will continue this long and so we mainly focused on maintaining
hygiene and staying safe. But as time passed by, fear of the unknown, future
related anxiety, plausibility of stigmatization if infected and many other
issues have gradually emerged. The lack of proper human affection, touch and in-person-interaction
has started degrading our mental wellness gradually, which many of us may not adequately
realize right now. Depression resulting from anxiety caused by fear of the
unknown is common among a substantial amount of people especially the
jobseekers. Suicidal thoughts, a decrease in self-confidence and mental
strength, lack of endurance, feeling dispassionate to engage in productive activities,
pessimism, etc. are early signs of possible mental illness. These are present
but unaddressed among most people under lockdown. Mental illness has always
been a taboo in the country but now this issue needs to be checked with care
since it may leave a large number of people vulnerable to long term disability.
Right now it is overdue to understand the fact that, ‘Mental Health Matters’
COVID-19 is doing what it is
supposed to do but life must go
on. We must let go of the past and start adopting the new normal in order to
re-enable the pace of everyday life. Therefore, the following propositions may
be beneficial if followed accurately.
First, we must familiarize ourselves with the ongoing
situation and accommodate accordingly. Social media sites if used wisely can be
a good source of both entertainment and communication. However, overuse may lead
to physical and psychological damage.
Second, physical exercise has research-proven evidence
to improve mental wellness [8]. Therefore, we all should try to do exercise
regularly.
Third,
it is important now more than ever before to think and act collectively rather
than individually. Thus, decisions regarding public sectors including the education
sector should be consistent with the prevailing situation and upcoming future.
Maybe we should focus on extending the horizons of education beyond the physical
institutional framework.
Fourth, it is high time to realize the importance of
general hygiene like wearing masks and sanitizing hands when we go out.
Finally, we should express gratitude to and seek guidance from our Almighty Creator,
not only when we are facing problems but also when life is going smoothly.
Together, we shall overcome someday. Till then, let’s hope for the best!
References:
1.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/china-reports-death-mysterious-outbreak-wuhan-200111023325546.html
2.https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/coronavirus-bangladesh-first-death-amid-slack-readiness-1882642 3.https://www.banglatribune.com/columns/opinion/620426/
4.https://www.dailybangladesh.com/country/183827?
5.https://www.kale ne/country-news/2020/07/06/931545rkantho.com/onli
6. https://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-52443652
7. Viscusi, W. Kip, 1993, “The Value of Risks
to Life and Health,” Journal of Economic Literature 31(3): 1912-1946. Hartley,
J., Jacobson, D., Klandermans, B., & van Vuuren, T. (1991). Job insecurity:
Coping with jobs at risk. London: Sage.
8. Wegner M, Amatriain-Fernández
S, Kaulitzky A, Murillo-Rodriguez E, Machado S and Budde H(2020) Systematic
Review of Meta-Analyses: Exercise Effects on Depression in Children and Adolescents.
Front. Psychiatry 11:81. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00081
Ahmed Ishmum Uddin
Session: 2014-15
Department of Human Resource Management
