Combating the impact of COVID- 19 on Public University Students through Subsidized Online Class: Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract

We strived to explore the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public university students with barriers to the online class through surveyed 1092 students of 15 public universities in Bangladesh using Google Form. Eight barriers were explored. About half, 542(49.6%) students shouldered learning-related costs, 489(45%) students had part time job, 461(42.2%) had COVID-19 patients nearby, 805(73.7%) faced income reduction, 367(75.2%) lost parttime jobs and 688 (63%) had financial crises, 703(64.3%) deterioration of psychological status, 827(75.7 %) had internet access and 526(48.2%) had devices to attend online classes but 519 (47.5%) failed to bear the internet cost. Besides, the study time reduced significantly from (3.67±2.17) to (1.23±1.34) hours, and career planning of 853(78.2%) struck. COVID-19 has multiple catastrophic impacts on the educational, financial, and psychological aspects. To curb these impacts, public universities must provide financial subsidies to those disadvantaged students to ensure the success of the online class.

Factors Associated With Underprivileged E-Learning, Session Jam Phobia, and the Subsequent Mental Distress Among Students Following the Extended University Closure in Bangladesh

“…Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reported that 62% of the households in Bangladesh do not have stable internet at home, and only 8.7% of the poorest households have internet ( 34 ). Besides, near 50% of students from various public universities in Bangladesh failed to bear internet charges during the COVID-19 crisis ( 35 ). The aforementioned reasons could clarify why about 52.1% of our participants were away from appropriate e-Learning.…”

“…Moreover, along with the reduction in active study hours, a general decrease in attendance has also been observed by an earlier study as the overall attendance in online classes reached as low as 40% ( 36 ). Another investigation reported a significant decrease in study time by more than 2 h amid the COVID-19 lockdown ( 35 ).…”

“…In this context, earlier studies suggested that the inadequate experience with online academic proceedings along with the difficulties presented by the online enrollment procedures have instilled confusion and lack of confidence among the students. A majority of these students (around 60%) are in turn refraining from participating actively during online classes and experiencing fear of academic gap on an unprecedented scale ( 22 , 35 ). A national report has recently stated that four million university students are currently seized by the fear of session jam, and 2.6 million are completely away from proper e-Learning activities in Bangladesh ( 37 ).…”

“…This problem may have stemmed from their inability to access improved electronic devices and strong internet connections ( 42 ). According to a previous study, 50% of the absent students could not attend online classes due to device availability ( 35 ). Furthermore, early literature suggested that apart from the students' limited access to these tools, inappropriate home environments may have also turned the education system unfavorable ( 43 ).…”

“…Around 300,000 students are studying in the 44 public universities of Bangladesh ( 37 ), most of whom come from unprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds and have to bear their educational expenses by their own incomes ( 40 ). However, about 75% of such students lost their income completely during the pandemic and are suffering from an unfathomed economic crisis ( 35 ). Furthermore, a majority of the public universities in Bangladesh lacked adequate facilities to conduct successful online classes by themselves, and such students have also declined the hope for institutional support that has been necessary for their studies ( 44 ).…”