The Covid19 pandemic has been a turning point in the history of education, industry and technology. It has also ushered the best and worst in humanity. The worst being, instead of looking for a solution to conquer the fierce enemy-the Coronavirus, countries are engaged in finding a scapegoat for their own lack of combatting this issue, politicians are busy playing the blame game for vested personal interests, and people are displaying increasingly disturbing xenophobia. Is this humanity’s new avatar revealed by an invisible enemy?

When I think of humanity, the African philosophy of Ubuntuism or the word Ubuntu echoes into my conscience and makes me ponder what should have been the true face of humanity in the time of this crisis. Having lived in Africa for a long time, I came to use and relate to the word Ubuntu which means, ‘I am because we are’. In many sense, it explains the purpose of humanity that is to coexist and define each other by discovering the interconnectedness and relationship between humans and that between humans and the world around them. I would like to interpret Ubuntu in the context of Covid19 to talk about the need to educate with the purpose of achieving Ubuntuism.

Let us envisage Ubuntuism as the educational philosophy for the future. This means education will aim at inculcating the ideologies of Ubuntuism. Here is my interpretation of Ubuntuism integrated into educational values. This will serve the future generation by preparing them better to deal with any crisis at a global scale.

Consensus over conflict
Ubutuism explains the interconnectedness of one human with the other, the reason of existence of one because of the other, with this aim the first thing to do is abolish the root of all conflicts: unhealthy competitions, ranking, grading, constant need to be the best. Students should compete with their own abilities to improve and become a better version of themselves and not compete with others to become clones of each other. Competition kills creativity and harnesses jealousy, anger and a constant desire to prove oneself. This gives rise to conflict, while the need of the hour is consensus. Curbing competition and the constant need to be the best will have a solid positive impact on the decisions students make when faced with challenges, they will seek to find a solution and not find a scapegoat. They will seek consensus over conflict.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing an unhealthy conflict globally to prove that one country is better than the other, one religion, race even profession is better than the other; there are even tests and research being conducted for racial profiling of Covid19, a pandemic. An unhealthy response to a health issue.

Altruism over Egotism
Altruism is the ability to think of others before self and it can be linked to Ubuntuism as in the later the definition of self is in relation to others so you think of others first in order to think about yourself. When faced with a global crisis the only redeemer is the ability to think of others before self, that is how the health care workers would have powered on in spite of the looming danger of getting infected and possibly dying. The need to care for others first can be taught and this will be our biggest saviour against an invincible enemy. Egotism the very opposite of altruism is leading to the delay of developing a cure for the Covid19 pandemic. Countries need to come together to fight the global threat, fighting alone is not the answer neither the right response to the situation. This reminds me of the Sanskrit phrase, ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’ which means the whole world is one family and truly it is. Altruism can help us align to the idea of one world hence it needs to be an educational value.

Social equality over equity
Since Ubuntuism is about bringing together everyone to see each other as equal, it would demand educational aims and values to be directed towards equality and not equity. Equality in terms of opportunity is the need to give equal opportunity to all citizens of the world irrespective of caste, gender, religion, nationality or colour. Equality alone can bridge the gaps created by tensions during an apocalyptic situation. Equity is about helping others in the time of need but equity is not the answer as it will lead to widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, how? Well, simply because it again creates the situation where one is capable of giving and the other is at the mercy of the giver. To bridge the gap it has to be filled not widened. Equity is providing too little to those who need it and too much to those who do not, this can further exacerbate the inequalities we see today. Equal opportunity is the solution, teaching students to be entrepreneurs and to create jobs is a better skill than teaching them to indulge in charity. The current situation is a stark reminder on how charity is not the answer but sharing resources and opportunities to survive, is the only option.

Pluralism over monism
Pluralism philosophy encourages duality of ideas, thoughts and perspective, in terms of the society it celebrates diversity, racial and cultural differences; on the other hand monism philosophy unites into sects or groups by dividing under common beliefs for example religion. When it comes to Ubuntuism, if we consider the very core idea of one’s development in conjunction to another, it automatically reinforces pluralism and teaches to understand multiple perspectives and learn from other people’s experiences rather than just believe in oneness and unity which ultimately is used to segregate on the basis of colour, race, beliefs, geography, food and gender. The Covid19 crisis would have been dealt with better without prejudice and bias. The virus does not segregate it just keeps attacking the next human being without bias or prejudice hence is more successful than those trying to contain it with hatred and xenophobia.

Soul over self
At Nelson Mandela’s memorial, United States President Barack Obama spoke about Ubuntu, saying,
“There is a word in South Africa – Ubuntu – a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us. We can never know how much of this sense was innate in him, or how much was shaped in a dark and solitary cell. But we remember the gestures, large and small – introducing his jailers as honoured guests at his inauguration; taking a pitch in a Springbok uniform; turning his family’s heartbreak into a call to confront HIV/AIDS – that revealed the depth of his empathy and his understanding. He not only embodied Ubuntu, he taught millions to find that truth within themselves.”

Ubuntu speaks about the soul, to overcome the self and be human in the time of crisis. Ubuntuism is the way forward, a world not divided but a world as one family, opening up borders, getting rid of economic domination, racial supremacy, roots of discrimination and cold calculated xenophobia. Only by revising educational aims and values can we survive the future, the future of coexistence with an understanding and respect for each other.

Covid19 has given an opportunity to policymakers, philosophers, politicians and heads of countries to rethink how to shape the future of the world. Creating a whole world, not a fragmented world, by acknowledging Ubuntu-I am because we are!

It’s been 10 weeks since I started teaching online. While the world is learning to deal with this colossal change in approaches to teaching and learning, being an international school teacher in China I am already feeling the fatigue and anxiety that comes with teaching remotely.

My peers will agree that not a single training or a professional development was ever put in place or completed to deal with a crisis of this scale and magnitude.

Apart from teachers, this crisis has also impacted the students who are persevering to learn through online classes. Since February, when the schools in China closed down indefinitely, my senior students have been living life on tenterhooks. This is primarily due to the uncertainties they had to deal with all throughout this crisis: how to learn online; how to prepare for exams; how exams will take place; how this will impact the final grades; how it will impact the university admissions… High school graduating students have suddenly woken up to a changed world!

In this changed world, the university admission decision has been the most excruciating dilemma students are facing, right now, as you read this blog. Whilst there is a general relief that exams have been cancelled, there is also rising anxiety as to what the future holds for them. High school seniors have realized that once this pandemic is over they will have to deal with a changed world–especially with university admissions and studies.
In my capacity as a university counsellor, here are a few scenarios I have been discussing with my graduating class and my students worldwide who are facing the same crisis.

Surprisingly, the most asked question is: “Will there be a graduation ceremony this year?”

Most schools may remain closed through the summer, this means the actual graduation ceremony may not take place, but the class of 2020 has exceptions! In case the schools worldwide reopen in June, this is still a possibility.

My school has decided to host the graduation ceremony virtually in case we cannot do it on campus! In China, preparations are on to reopen schools but public gatherings will still be restricted so more or less we are looking at relying heavily on technology to host a virtual graduation ceremony. In spite of challenges, the answer to this question should be a ‘Yes’ as the high school graduation ceremony is a once in a lifetime event!

Second most asked question: “Will the university accept the new adjusted grades?”
Most international students around the world will have to accept the grades generated by the educational jurisdictions as the exams have been cancelled. Students no longer have control over their final grades, hence they are anxious whether their final grades will meet the university requirements. The good news is most universities around the world are willing to be more flexible considering the current challenges students and schools are facing this year. Many universities have released COVID-19 updates on their websites to explain that they will accept the adjusted grades and honour alternative assessments completed in school or by the examination board. Again the answer to this question should be a “Yes,” unless there is a marginal difference between predicted and actual grades.

“What do we expect in September 2020?”
Every year, September is the time the world witnesses a massive migration of students who travel to join universities abroad, revving up the economy by adding to tuition fees, airlines tickets, accommodation, phone bills, and the list goes on… The first hurdle this year is the travel restrictions. If the travel restrictions remain, most students will not be able to reach their dream destination universities, hence some universities are looking into possible arrangements like online teaching to begin the studies in September 2020. The next challenge to join the university in September 2020 is getting the visa on time. Since visas need to be obtained a few months prior to September, I am advising all students to start the application process early this year.

“What if I do not meet the university predicted grade?”
It is a changed world–mostly everyone on this planet has realized it. Most universities that I have interacted with have confirmed that the predicted grades will be used to ascertain a student’s ability and will not be used as a benchmark, but there are exceptions to this rule for courses like engineering. Universities will also take into consideration teacher references and evidence provided by schools to support student applications.

“How do I prepare for my first semester studies at university?”
Students have been out of regular school for some time now, they are nervous about the academic rigour and expectations in the first semester of university studies. They feel underprepared for this massive academic transition. Hence my sincere advice to students has been to keep up with the online teaching and learning facilitated by their schools worldwide, this will bridge the gap of knowledge and also develop self-management and organization skills required for life in university.

Another way of preparing for transition is to start communicating with the university right now, find out about housing, induction programmes, student support programmes and join the social media page of the university.

“Will I still get transfer credits from my current programme of study?”
This is a question only the university will be able to answer; hence it is very crucial to be communicating with the university to avoid any last-minute surprises. Usually, each university has its own system of transferring credits and it will remain the same if students meet the admission requirements.

“What if I cannot complete the English language requirement as I cannot take the test?”
There are a few universities that have waived off the English language test requirement but most universities in the UK still need the IELTS to be completed due to visa requirements. They are monitoring the situation closely and will make a decision if the language tests cannot be administered from now till September. The best advise one can give to students is to communicate directly with their university and ask for clarification.

“And finally a silent question that is not asked but begs an answer: “Am I the only one feeling stressed, nervous and anxious?”
In these challenging and changing times, the topmost priority of teachers, school administrators, parents, and international education institutes around the world should be student well-being. COVID-19 has altered the way we think and approach life in future. As such, our students need to be supported to overcome this crisis without a permanent scar on their psyche.

Hence, even before I start answering students’ questions related to their uncertain future, I always take time to help them voice their anxieties and fears related to life after COVID-19. By just being able to voice their feelings, students realise they are not alone in this “changed world.” There are many others in this precarious situation wanting answers to questions and sometimes just reaching out to find another person with similar challenges.
Students globally should know that they are not alone in this fight! In this new world, it may not matter if you do not make it to a university but it will matter if you make it out of this pandemic!

One big realisation that I share with all my students is that the pursuit of knowledge will continue despite all challenges. Education will evolve and it has evolved after this pandemic, in fact the change in education has made the world a changed place, and hopefully a better place.