As we all know, the lockdowns that were imposed around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic impacted every organisation in one way or another.

For instance, higher education came to a standstill or transferred to an online environment for many students and teachers throughout the globe, and the higher education system, as a whole, experienced financial losses.

Even though lockdowns have been lifted and many restrictions have been eased in most countries, including India, Covid-19 is still impacting higher education providers in two main ways.

So, let us explore the financial impact and the impact of remote learning in more detail.

The Financial Impact

Since the start of the lockdowns, there have been major concerns about the financial impact on higher education establishments, as well as on schools.

There has been a drop in student numbers in many universities around the world; both domestic and international students. And fewer students has meant less income for education, accommodation, catering, and so on. Even things like income from conferences have been down.

Although higher education establishments around the world have often been able to get assistance from government schemes, just like some businesses in the U.S.A. could apply for employee retention credit to help them survive during lockdown, the financial impact of Covid-19 lockdowns is still hitting many higher education establishments hard.

And speaking of employee retention credit, you can learn more about it here.

While things are now starting to turn around, higher education establishments are still coping with their financial situations of the last couple of years and it will take some time for them to get back on track to pre-pandemic levels.

However, if India’s international student numbers are anything to go by, the future looks increasingly bright for rising student numbers.

By the end of the summer of 2021, 62,000 Indian student visas had been issued for Indian students wanting to study in the U.S.A., which was up from 15,000 F-1 student visas from the year before, and 90,669 student visas were issued in the U.K. to Indian students up to September 2021, which was a 102% increase from the previous year.

The Impact of Remote Learning

When the world went into lockdown, people started working online and students started learning online. While most countries have now reopened higher education establishments, some education providers have retained or reverted to remote learning.

Yes, online learning is better than no learning at all, and indeed, it has many benefits, but there are disadvantages to remote online learning that continue to negatively impact students.

For instance, students learning practical skills cannot use hands-on methods when learning via an online tutorial and students are often unable to ask questions and engage with teachers in the same way as they would in classrooms.

Furthermore, students who are still learning remotely are missing out on socialisation and opportunities to develop their attitudes.

Limited interaction with both peers and members of staff can have a negative impact on students’ experiences and outcomes. In turn, that can leave them feeling less prepared for their post-university steps.

All of that should be considered seeing as the world seems to be heading in a digital direction for education.

For instance, earlier this year, it was reported that India is pushing ahead with its plans to create a digital university and pressing existing universities to offer more online courses.

Drawing support from the National Education Policy, India’s policymakers and regulators seem determined to go ahead with this course of action, and indeed, there are many positives to be had from introducing more online learning, but if it is not provided in addition to in-person learning and support, it could end up being detrimental to the students.

And students should always come first.