COVID-19: How is AISG Coping?

 

Covid-19 has taken the world by storm. Initially touted as a “SARS-like” virus, it has now taken on its own identity and has been acknowledged as a much more virulent disease. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei province of China, and is thought to have originated due to the consumption of wildlife by humans.

China was the first nation to face COVID-19’s brunt, with it now spread to most parts of the world. While nations such as the U.S. are shutting down in order to combat and contain the virus, many in China are going back to normal, with companies and workplaces functioning and schools in some areas of China resuming. However, normalcy seems to be a far cry for the AISG community, whose members have now been away from campus for just over three months. 

Over the past three months, most of us have been engaged in Online Learning (OLL) to some extent. We have received our assignments over Microsoft Teams or OneNote and have had video sessions conducted and supervised by teachers in some of our classes for virtual interaction and communication.

However, OLL has entailed a variety of different challenges for people. Unlike other local schools, AISG has a unique disadvantage: faculty and students are spread out over different countries and timezones, hindering the process of virtual learning. This disadvantage stems from the diverse student and faculty body of the AISG community, most of whom returned to their home countries once the virus started wreaking havoc in China. As a result, organizing video classes is quite difficult, which is why most work is assigned independently. Instead of being taught directly over Zoom and being able to interact with the class in real-time while learning, AISG students are being assigned classwork and content is being taught predominantly through readings and recorded presentations. This means that students are not able to retain the benefits of being in a classroom-like environment and collaboration remains difficult.

However, other international schools outside of China are not dealing with the same problem many in AISG are. Chinmayi R., a student at the Frankfurt International School, wakes up every day at 8 in the morning and has her classes in real-time through Zoom. In fact, teachers take attendance of each student, forcing to maintain aspects of normalcy in their schedule. She believes that this stems from the fact that most students were unable to leave Germany once the virus hit, which is why most of them are still in the same timezone. Ananya G., a student at the York Mills Collegiate Institute (YMCI) in Toronto, has an experience similar to that of Chinmayi’s. Being a public school, most of YMCI’s student body is Canadian; as a result, most students have not left the country.

OLL has posed several other problems for AISG’s student body. Many students, such as Maya T., a junior, have felt lonely and disconnected from their friends. Maya H. states, “I desperately want to interact with people who aren’t members of my immediate family!” Others have found it hard to remain focused and dedicated. Those who are familiar with procrastination are having a hard time keeping it at bay while others are not in an environment conducive to learning. For example, Chhavi K., a Junior, is currently living with her aunt’s family in Delhi and has found it hard to find both time and peace to be able to focus. Several people are also having to battle unstable internet connections and are facing VPN problems.

Some students, frankly, have bigger things to worry about. Many are stuck in countries that are overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases while others are in a complete lockdown. Christel L. is currently in the Philippines with her family. She has to follow a strict lockdown, which has made procuring food and other essential items difficult. Those who are in India are also under a complete lockdown. Orders of essential items placed on the Internet often take over a month for arrival. Online shopping websites and markets are overwhelmed with orders and the lack of employees for delivery has been a rising issue.

IBY2 students have also faced a unique set of challenges. Given the state of the world right now, M20 exams have been canceled. However, students are still in the dark about how they will be assessed, and many worry about how the lack of exams will affect their university acceptances. Mr. Baker, however, guarantees that most universities are aware of the challenges faced by the class of 2020 and will take the unprecedented circumstances into account.

While the school has been doing an impressive job of keeping the parents updated with weekly emails, many students feel that there isn’t much communication being directed at them. IBY1 students (the class of 2021) feel lost regarding their EE’s, as they haven’t been contacted regarding the next steps.

Many are worried about how their CAS requirements will be impacted given that they’re unable to participate in their service activities. Furthermore, many are in the dark about how grades will be calculated and if finals will take place. Several people have suggested that AISG should adopt a “pass or fail” strategy for semester 2, much like top colleges in the U.S.

As of now, AISG’s resumption date still remains unclear. Three prior resumption dates were given but all of them have fallen through. Just a few weeks ago, the AISG community was informed that the school was looking to reopen in the first week of May and members were being asked to return if they felt comfortable doing so. However, with the Chinese government’s decision to cancel all visas except those for diplomats, a significant chunk of the AISG community now remains stuck outside of China.

It is safe to say that most of us are tired of sitting around at home and can’t wait to be back on campus soon! However, the best thing that we can do right now is to practice social distancing and be mindful of each other. Sit tight and stay safe!