ISRRT_COVID-19_book

Lessons learned and personal experiences of adapting to and
working within a pandemic. Educator perspectives on the delivery
of programmes and student impact
Bimali Sanjeevani Weerakoon
Following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a new coronavirus (COVID-
19) pandemic on March 11, 2020 1 , most countries throughout the world announced a state
of emergency and imposed social isolation measures in an effort to contain the spread of the
virus. The education sector is one of the most crucial areas affected by the COVID-19
pandemic across the globe. Educational institutes such as schools, universities and other
public and private institutions are widely regarded as susceptible places for COVID-19
transmission in the community. Therefore, this disease caused educational institutions to
close around the world as a preventive measure, affecting millions of students in different
countries 2 . This situation has compelled educational institutes to foresee and develop
strategies to reduce disruptions for all levels of education. It is a well-accepted fact that there
is no other teaching strategy that can substitute the success of direct student-teacher
interactions 3 . However, due to the physical distancing rules and lockdown, undoubtably the
use of technology became a necessity for keeping the education system functioning in many
countries around the world. Therefore, this widespread virus has prompted the abrupt and
rapid transition of teaching and learning activities from traditional to online distance modes
at all levels of education 3,4 . This has a critical impact on resource-constrained communities,
particularly the lack of technological infrastructure related to online education 5 .
Sri Lanka is one of the countries in South Asia that has been impacted by the COVID-19. On
January 27th, 2020, the first patient with COVID-19 infection was discovered in Sri Lanka 6,7 ,
and the Sri Lankan government immediately began implementing tactical surveillance
measures to limit the spread of the virus. As an initial response, the Sri Lankan government
segregated the districts where COVID-19 patients have been reported and placed them under
lockdown as a matter of urgency. Following a spike in COVID-19 cases, the authorities issued
a state-wide curfew and travel restrictions. In this situation, the Sri Lankan government closed
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