The Covid-19 pandemic has massively impacted every country in the world. Economies are devastated, international travels delayed. This unforeseen phenomenon silenced the world for quite some time as outdoor interactions are limited. Needless to say, the education system is one of the most hardly beaten sectors. The pandemic forced learners to adapt to new learning modalities. These new modes of learning, which include online classes and modular learnings, have brought challenges to the learners and their guardians.
While endless rants and complaints are being posted by students on social media, there is no doubt that teachers and school heads have their fair share of struggles. From preparation of lesson plans to distribution and collection of learning modules, teachers and schools always ensure that quality education remains intact despite the absence of conventional face-to-face learning.
In paving the new approach in education, school heads have been under massive pressure in responding to the struggles and challenges brought about by the pandemic. They had to devise plans to ensure that quality of learning remains undiminished without compromising the health and safety of stakeholders. Also, they serve as a link across a variety of networks composing of education authorities, teachers, students, parents and community.
Meanwhile, in response to the pandemic challenge, school heads were urged to be more resilient and flexible in managing school matters along with adapting to the new normal. Leadership and management have always been the primary responsibilities of school heads. In this time of the pandemic, school heads are expected to innovate plans in managing school resources to carry out the main objective of delivering quality education. Moreover, as part of their main responsibility as leaders, they are bound to make complex decisions in response to the emerging needs and issues of this new learning setup. Consequently, this may require additional work, hours for them due to the unfamiliar circumstances.
In such disruptive times, leading means being able to navigate a different route and to keep track of the new pathways to the envisioned destination. In this time of crisis, the roles of school leaders are recalibrated as they have to keep their sense of hope and determination and the passion to lead a brighter future for the learners to a greater height amid ever-changing circumstances. Furthermore, our school leaders must be encouraged to render their utmost service and recognized for their untiring efforts as they play a crucial role in keeping our education system effectively functioning and constantly developing.