ONLINE DELIVERY OF LIFE-SCIENCE TEACHING AND LABORATORY PRACTICES: SUSTAINING AND TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CURRICULA DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional education worldwide, particularly in Life Sciences, where laboratory practice is central. This study examined how higher secondary schools in Kolkata, India, delivered Life-Science practicals online and how these practices inform post-pandemic teaching. A survey of 50 students and several teachers found that online methods offered flexibility, repeated access to demonstrations, and greater clarity in theory, but failed to provide authentic hands-on experience, apparatus handling, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs). The findings suggest that blended learning models combining digital resources with in-person laboratories are essential for sustaining continuity and quality in Life-Science education during and beyond future disruptions.