The Covid-19 pandemic has affected education systems around the world, resulting in the near-complete closure of universities, colleges, and schools. Many governments have briefly closed educational organizations to limit the spread of Covid-19. As of 1 September 2020, about 1. 277 billion students have been impacted by schools’ closure in response to the Covid-19 epidemic. According to UNICEF monitoring, 46 nations are presently applying countrywide closures, and 27 are applying local closures, affecting approximately 72.9 % of the world’s student population. The closure of schools not only affects families, teachers, and students but has far-reaching societal and economic consequences. The closure of schools in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on numerous economic and social issues such as digital learning, homelessness, student debt, food insecurity, healthcare, access to the internet, and disability services. The covid-19 pandemic impacts on the education system are more severe for underprivileged children and their families, leading to compromised nutrition, interrupted learning, childcare challenges, and resulting economic challenges to families who could not work. Some of the significant educational challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic include
Education exclusion
Since schools’ closure, many governments have suggested that learning should be conducted through online platforms or technology-mediated learning through various channels such as mobile phones, radio, and TV. This form of learning is more likely to occur in urban areas. Therefore, for learners in remote villages, refugee camps, and children with disabilities, learning during the Covid-19 period is a severe challenge. Leaners from these areas lack access to online learning because of numerous challenges such as lack of good internet connectivity and electricity. Besides, individuals in many rural communities lack smartphones (Burgess & Sievertsen, 2020). Even if adults have smartphones that can be used by these children, privacy issues and learners’ use of the internet without supervision creates a severe challenge. In areas where technology and electricity do not exist, the cost of the internet is unaffordable. These difficulties present numerous challenges for learners in rural areas who must contest with more advantaged learners during nationwide examinations.
Widened physical contact between learners and teachers.
One of the primary impacts of Covid-19 to learners is the lack of physical contact with teachers for content delivery. In response to the closure of schools, colleges, and universities, UNESCO recommended using distant learning channels, open educational applications, and other platforms that learning institutions and instructors can utilize to connect learners distantly and reduce the interruption of learning (Carver, 2020). The absence of physical contact between teachers and learners has been created by social distancing regulations to prevent the virus’s spread. Active learning has been substituted with digital learning. Nevertheless, the lack of access to technology and dependable internet connection has affected learners from underprivileged families and rural areas. The lack of access to good internet connection and technology is a barrier to constant learning, especially for underprivileged families.
Student learning outcomes
The closure of schools negatively affects student learning results. Schooling offers crucial learning, and when schools are closed, learners are denied chances for growth and development. The shortcomings are unequal to disadvantaged students who have less learning chances outside a learning institution. This is particularly true for parents with inadequate education and resources (Burgess & Sievertsen, 2020). These parents are not only frustrated by having to homeschool their children without sufficient preparation, but they can also not strengthen their kids’ learning. Online study is not practical for students already behind, and radio learning cannot substitute classroom learning because it aims at supplementing the knowledge that learners already have. Learners gain knowledge slower during school closures than in normal academic years. In some nations such as the United States, it has been approximated that the rate of reading ability gain in kindergarten learners slows down by 66 percent during school closures compared to active learning. Student drop-out rates are increasing because many learners in developing nations have been forced to join the labor force to help their families cater to their daily needs. Disadvantaged or homeless children are at a greater risk of failing to return to schools when they reopen. These children are likely to experience long-term impacts of school closure due to lost opportunities. Schools also provide learners with opportunities to interact with others. When schools are closed, countless leaners miss out on social interaction, which is vital for learning and growth.
Leaners’ nutritional challenges
Nutrition plays a vital role in academic performance and cognitive development. Many children around the world depend on discounted or free meals provided at schools. The closure of schools has compromised nutrition for children who depended on free or discounted meals. In the United States, school lunch programs are among the most significant anti-hunger initiatives. About 30 million leaners depend on schools to provide discounted or free meals every year, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. About 45% of the state’s students registered in traditional public and charter schools qualify for funded school meals in Washington State. More than 530,000 learners and their families have been affected by food insecurity because of school closures.
Sexual violence and exploitation
Anecdotal proof indicates that girls living in rural areas are more likely to increase families’ revenue. This act exposes girls to sexual misuse and gender-based violence. Sexual abuse and gender-based violence place girls in danger of health and reproductive problems such as female genital mutilation and early marriage, forcing them to drop out when school reopens (Carver, 2020). Limited mobility from curfews and quarantine affects girls’ access to vital protection services and support networks, further affecting their independence.
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has affected nearly all students worldwide, school closures have worsened the present disparities for marginalized students, and this has also created numerous unintended consequences for vulnerable girls. Schools and teachers need to adapt to the distant worldwide learning because many students have been affected by school closures. Many learning institutions and teachers have accepted this challenge. However, many learning institutions and teachers lack the equipment and skills to offer distance education efficiently in many developing nations.
References
Burgess, S., & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID- 19 on education. VoxEu. Org, 1.
Carver, L. B. (2020). Supporting learners in a time of crisis. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(4), 129-136.