The challenges of providing a quality education were a constant part of our daily lives long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In a constantly evolving world, with exponential growth in technology and access to information, major world powers are already far ahead in terms of innovation in education. In Brazil, we face challenges not only related to unequal access but also to priorities regarding how we teach, learn, and train. 

With the suspension of in-person classes, both public and private school systems had to adapt. Each in its own way, using the resources at their disposal, school administrators had to review policies, methodologies, and infrastructure to serve all students and prepare educators for this new reality.

This reality required flexibility, social-emotional development, adaptability, and a great deal of resilience.

From this point forward, we must view 2020 as a year of reflection, of seeking improvements, and of broadening our perspectives to address the demands of the present. For the future of education has already begun.

Administrators and school operators need to have a clear understanding of the context they’re in and where they want to go. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, look within the school, and test each hypothesis in practice. Teachers—who have been true mentors and sources of support during this pandemic—need to be trained and equipped. Students need to be assessed in a way that is consistent with and appropriate for the current reality of remote learning, at a time when social distancing has significantly impacted their learning.

It is essential to recognize that students’ learning in 2020 went far beyond their cognitive abilities and the required academic subjects and content. Students who experienced distance learning during the pandemic developed social-emotional focus, self-regulation, and self-control to cope with adversity—skills required in the 21st century that are already part of the guidelines of the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC).

Schools that maintained close ties with families recognized this lesson. Teachers took on a greater role in innovating remote classes, while students took on a greater role in organizing their own studies. Educational institutions need to focus on identifying the main challenges of this unusual year and developing strategic solutions for improvements in the short, medium, and long term.

In 2021, resources must be directed toward and prioritize addressing challenges, developing leaders, and personalizing learning and professional development. We must understand that educators are also exhausted, and that working in partnership—in a collaborative manner—benefits everyone. Empathy among government agencies, administrators, professionals, students, and families must be a constant reality.

Schools exist to educate people and teach children and adolescents, and this work must prioritize pedagogy. When public policies are well-designed, it is possible to be prepared for any kind of situation. Education now takes place in students’ homes, and even with the resumption of in-person classes and the post-pandemic era, this learning still needs to take place outside the school walls.

This scenario has sparked a revolution in the way we educate, anticipating needs that had already been observed and that have since become more pronounced. From now on, it is the responsibility of those taking office in each administration—city governments and departments of education—to develop these strategies and set priorities in accordance with the realities of each school system.

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