The Impact Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On Education In The Gulf Region

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the education system in the Gulf region after educational institutions were forced to shut down. This study aimed at studying the impact of Covid 19 on the education sector within the Gulf countries. The methodology used in this research is a qualitative analysis of secondary data. The data consists of news articles, reports, and academic papers relevant to the topic. The main findings of this research were that the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the education system in the Gulf region where students had to adapt to a new way of learning. After the outbreak of the corona virus, most of the learning institutions which were in the progress of their academic year rapidly changed to the new trend by embracing digital learning programs and availing learning materials in the internet. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for governments in the Middle East to build on their robust measures by addressing challenges and embracing innovative solutions to build a student-centric ecosystem that substantially transforms learning.  The pandemic has challenged the way education is delivered in the region and has forced students and teachers to adapt to a new reality. With most learning institutions going online, there was a major challenge to the students from middle and low income families who could not afford a computer or a stable internet connection. The Covid 19 pandemic provided a new reality on some of the inefficacies within the education sector and the need to address these inefficacies to avoid such challenges in the future.