Impact of Covid-19 on Global Education Systems

After the famous Swine Flu and Ebola epidemic, the COVID-19 virus was not expected to spread like wildfire in a short period of time. It soon took the shape of a pandemic reaching far and wide in a matter of months; therefore, in order to grapple the spread of pandemic, governments across the world restricted the socio-political and economic activities that interconnected the world in global village. The idea that human beings cannot progress in exclusivity but inclusivity is adequately practiced in the world of global education systems, learners from all around the world come together to establish an atmosphere of learning in diversity. Especially the aspiring learners from under-developed and the developing world find the global education system a way of acquiring the skills of the first world and use it for individual and community progress. However, the pandemic had brought several challenges for the global education sector and disrupted the conventional classroom teaching. Therefore, badly hit the international students as the key goals of global learning not remained the same.This research took up the challenge of addressing the new-normal situation that has risen after the COVID-19 has been declared a global health crisis, especially with regards to its impact on global or international education connectivity. The researcher has utilized mixed method research design employing both the qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. Researcher has collected the primary data by conducting a web-based survey filled by global learners (those students who are acquiring education away from their home countries) and secondary data from books, reports by UNESCO and United Nations on “Covid-19 and education” and journals in order to critically analyse the impact of Covid-19 on global education systems and the challenges faced by foreign students.The researcher concludes that global learnershave several apprehensions regarding online education as it has destroyed the very basic purpose of global learning due to restrictions on social interaction.Keywords:Covid-19; Education; UNESCO; United Nations; health pandemic