Chapter 9: Pandemic, Pedagogy, and Positive Peace: Equity in Education During the COVID-19

As of June 9, 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed at least 3.75 million people globally. The global pandemic is caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and the disease has spread rapidly. Vaccines are available, though there are issues with global distribution and some disputes over the efficacy of this treatment along ideological and political grounds, the prognosis on the whole currently appears positive. This chapter highlights the relationships between COVID-19 and higher education among vulnerable populations in the United State of America. Many experiences and recommendations will be relevant to other contexts and groups, but the scope of this project is intended to be more limited. In January of 2020 COVID-19 was first identified in the United States. During spring 2020 the average number of new cases per day peaked at 31,000 (on April 10) and deaths exceeded 2,000 on multiple days during April 2020. The American geographical and political contexts were a significant part of the discussion and response. This chapter examines the disruptions that the pandemic caused as well as the conditions created by the threats to public health and safety, and the reactions to both. This is done through anecdotal experience, a review of available reporting, and a qualitative analysis presenting academic impediments and unique challenges. In some cases, the problems are predictable and still addressed with poor acumen and an absence of good problem solving. This evidence of cultural, structural, and systemic violence is alarming and clearly impacts equity in classrooms. It is also a reflection of broader cultural and ideological values that privilege some groups while providing disservice to others. The priorities within society undermined both a quality educational experience and safety for many vulnerable populations. Aid management, at points, clearly values the economy over the lives of some vulnerable populations, at other points higher education appears to suffer from deferred maintenance—the systematic defunding and underfunding of higher education has had consequences on opportunities for resistance and resilience to adversity caused by the pandemic. Strategies and recommendations for improving the function of higher education for both educators and learners is provided. These include coping strategies that are applicable in a wide diversity of cases and in repurposing classrooms to better deliver positive peace.