Educational loss .. causes, manifestations and solutions

The educational loss is represented by the gap between what was planned (the intended curriculum); knowledge, skills and attitudes, and what the students actually acquired (the acquired curriculum), and that the actual time for education is less than the planned time; Reduction in the number of hours and days of formal education.

The causes of educational loss (cognitive, social, and emotional) are represented in the closure of schools completely and partially for varying periods, and the students’ lack of access to education in its natural way. Barriers spread throughout the country, or deliberate demolitions of schools, destruction of their infrastructure, and tampering with the appropriate educational learning environment in that, violating international norms and laws, especially the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which have made it clear that parents, As a matter of priority, the right to choose the type of education that is given to their children, the right of every individual to education, and the necessity of directing education and education to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and to strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and that the occupying power criminalizes acts of aggression, infringement, or Other manifestations of violations that may affect educational institutions, and to prosecute those who committed such acts, planned them, or ordered their implementation, and hold them accountable.

There are reasons related to emergency conditions, as is the case with the Corona pandemic, which left great impacts on the educational scene in all its fields, in addition to the teachers’ protests and their refusal to perform their duties for various reasons, and there are cases related to environmental conditions in winter and summer, and other cases related to the various occasions that take place. It was not included in the annual school calendar, and the decision to reduce class time from 45 to 40 minutes since 2007 has increased the time of educational loss, and other reasons related to the economic and social fields, and reasons related to curricula, teaching principles, and the decline in the rate of cooperative learning in favor of the learning rate. Individuals, the increase in the size of the gap and disparity between countries with a high rate of human development, and developing countries, and inequality in the availability of the necessary learning resources at home at the technological level, and others, and the ability to self-study.

Among the most prominent manifestations of educational loss and its indicators in the field of knowledge is the increase in the school dropout rate for reasons related to cognitive performance, the low achievement of students in school tests, the decline in students’ performance in the main skills of the various investigations in all classes, the decline in students’ achievement in higher thinking skills, and the focus on superficial knowledge. Decreased motivation and continuity in learning, widening gaps in individual differences among students, stumbles in education, academic delays, and an increase in the proportion of those who cannot read and write.

As for the most prominent manifestations of social and emotional loss, it is represented in the increase in cases of psychological instability and self-confidence of students (anxiety, fear, tension, ...), the frequent absence of them from their schools in part or in whole, and the increase in school dropouts for reasons not related to cognitive performance, and the emergence of many cases School violence between students themselves, and between students and their teachers, low participation in various community and sports activities, weak desire to be in school, and reluctance to perform tasks that require cooperation between peers.

The plan to recover from the educational loss (compensating students) is of great importance, especially after years of irregularity in the educational process during the (Corona) pandemic crisis, in which students did not attend their schools for about two years normally, in addition to the irregularity of education resulting from teachers’ refusal to perform their duties for periods of time. Therefore, the plan for catch-up education or recovery from educational loss must take into account the diversity of recovery programs suitable for each category of students, using measurement tools that allow determining the amount and quality of educational loss, and moving away from unified recovery programs for all students, regardless of Considering the amount and type of losses they suffer from, compensating for alternative learning styles that are compatible with the new situation, and replacing them, and the effective employment of all technological means, such as e-learning and distance learning as a strategic option to overcome the difficulties of that stage, and activate the role of educational counselors; To reduce the negative psychological effects of students and all parties to the educational community, to communicate in appropriate ways with students who suffer from the negative effects of educational loss and its repercussions, especially those with disabilities and students in remote areas, to build bridges of cooperation with all local community institutions, to formulate real and effective partnership opportunities, and to provide opportunities Appropriate for the development of administrative creativity in the educational field, and the delegation of powers.

Recommendations:
1- Adopting strategies to recover from educational loss, represented in the strategy of prolonging learning time, where additional time is allocated for high-quality learning time, targeting all students according to their levels, attendance is mandatory, and negative aspects such as exhaustion and stress are avoided; So that the school secures additional time for learning about one or two periods of daily additional supportive lessons according to the reality of each school (flexibly), or / and take advantage of Saturdays, or / extend the school year, or / and return students to schools after completing the general secondary exam, and re- The time of the class is reduced to 45 minutes as it was before 2007 AD, and other than that, which allows additional time for learning, and the interaction of students in a warm and attractive learning environment.

2- Accelerating students’ learning significantly in both mathematics and reading in the first basic stage, especially those who fail, and in mathematics, Arabic, and science in other grades, and focus on basic concepts and skills in which performance has declined according to the results of diagnostic tests and school tests. Using the services of applicants for teaching jobs (role lists); To provide support to the original teacher (supportive teacher), after subjecting them to quick training in exchange for relatively low wages, and calculating their work period, as substitutes when hiring.

3- Adopting differentiation methodologies among students by matching education according to students’ proficiency levels in basic skills, regardless of grade, and grouping them in an allotted time; With the aim of accelerating education, taking into account that not all students receive the same educational topics at the same time, and allocating educational content according to the varying needs of students, and the lack of each of them in basic competencies and skills, and employing individual educational strategies (individualizing education), and compensating for the lack of acquisitions necessary for the class and beyond. , and it depends mainly on the teacher.

4- Determining the basic skills and concepts that are tantamount to previous learning for the following years, and focusing on the outcomes. It is possible to use the educational packages that were prepared in the Corona pandemic, and to design evaluation mechanisms that go beyond the traditional evaluation based on answering multiple choice questions, or answering with (true / false). ), or drafting some paragraphs, and turning to the original evaluation, achievement files, performance tasks, peer evaluation, or self-evaluation, which can reflect the skills and competencies that are really acquired, in the process of being acquired, or not acquired by the learners.

5- Diversity in learning strategies, such as the flipped classroom strategy; By effectively integrating technology into the educational-learning process, where the flipped classroom relies on transferring the learning process outside the classroom, allocating class time for more learning activities, and employing digital technology strategy; Depending on electronic applications and technological programs that contribute to the individualization of education.

6- Adopting strategies for recovering from social and emotional loss, such as the strategy of supportive and sustainable relationships with a surrounding adult, and home visits; To enhance communication between the school administration and health and educational counseling officials on the one hand, and the families of students affected by the pandemic on the other hand, and the cooperative learning strategy (we learn together) that relies on preparing educational situations that allow learners opportunities for cooperation and interaction in educational groups using the (Jigsaw) method, and preparing them, or Group Investigation, and the project-based learning strategy, which contributes to the development of the spirit of teamwork and cooperation, and promotes the spirit of free competition through individual projects, and also contributes to the development of self-confidence, love of work, responsibility, acquisition of life skills, dialogue and discussion strategy , and others.

7- Availability of an educational cadre with the necessary competencies with high efficiency, capable of bringing about the desired development, raising the capabilities of in-service workers according to their needs, and moving towards creative and innovative education.

8- Availability of sufficient physical and financial resources to bring about the required development, and the appropriate infrastructure capable of responding to appropriate education strategies.

9- Employing the database (educational platforms) in various fields (curriculum, education strategies, student files, ...), in a way that contributes to employing the appropriate educational style for students, and providing technological requirements according to needs.