In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system has seen the need for radical change. Long-term changes are required to address the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic. With the situation slowly improving, many schools are looking to reopen their doors to students once again, and they must be prepared to handle the risks associated with it.

• Experiential learning
  With a major part of the last two years spent on online teaching, students need to be re-established in an offline learning environment. There is a greater need for engaging, hands-on learning to provide the best experience.
• The importance of socializing
  Months of sitting behind a screen have made students lose touch, and a healthy atmosphere that allows students and teachers to socialize and grow will have a positive impact on their mental health and well-being.
• Technological advancements
  Without a doubt, the major takeaway from this pandemic has been the convenience of digital technology. Incorporating AI and other growing technologies with textbook teaching methods is fundamental to educational progress. Classrooms should be upgraded to reflect this change, with an increased number of computer labs, smartboards, and personal technological devices to increase learning efficiency. Platforms like Udemy and edX have seen a steady rise throughout the pandemic, and they can be extended to support offline teaching as well.
• Infrastructural changes
  Health facilities need maintenance by meeting the proper requirements for ventilation systems and sanitary stations to avoid similar outbreaks both in the short and long run.
• Promoting fitness
  To nurture the minds of tomorrow and ensure their physical and mental welfare, fitness also plays a vital role, and schools should push their students to partake in various physical activities to stimulate their growing selves, providing the grounds to do so.
• Sustainable practices
  Now, more than ever, sustainable practices and ideologies should be inculcated in students, for they are the citizens of tomorrow. Thinking about the long term and making sure the quality of life on this planet is improved by giving students real-world skills. Schools should set an example by promoting the reduction of material consumption, reducing energy and water consumption, and making use of environmentally friendly sources of energy like solar or renewable energy.

The need to invest in school infrastructure has been highlighted by the pandemic, but it extends beyond student protection and carries on to their physical and mental well-being, upbringing, and academic performance as well. While COVID-19 may have caused many problems, it is necessary to act now and rise to the challenge, with the future of an entire generation at stake.