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- Convenors:
-
Christian Kakuba
(Makerere University)
Fredrick Kisekka (The Development Research and Social Policy Analysis Centre)
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- Chair:
-
Christian Kakuba
(Makerere University)
- Discussant:
-
Marc Pilon
(Institut de recherche pour le développement)
- Format:
- Panel
- Streams:
- Health (x) Covid (y)
- Location:
- Neues Seminargebäude, Seminarraum 15
- Sessions:
- Saturday 3 June, -, -
Time zone: Europe/Berlin
Short Abstract:
COVID-19 devastated many African countries and Education is one area that was enormously disrupted. We propose to explore the impact of COVID-19 on schooling and learning outcomes for the school age population as well as the supply of teachers in the circumstances.
Long Abstract:
COVID-19 devastated many African countries with many reconsidering new realisms in delivering services. Education is one area that was enormously disrupted. Indeed, many countries took to unaccustomed innovations like adoption of online teaching and learning. While some actors took to the use of mass media and or home schooling, others did nothing! That education is critical for socioeconomic transformation is a truism but progress should be seen against the background that the continent has a young population with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa being under age 30.
By July 2021, half the countries in Africa had witnessed closures of education institutions as a strategy to curb the spread of the epidemic. This inadvertently kept about 300million learners out of school, with no determination on when to report back. Because many African countries lacked institutionalized frameworks and spaces for provision of alternative education, many pupils and other learners were officially out of school, with some dropping out, adding to the over 98million learners out of school in Sub-Saharan Africa before COVID-19. There were also numerous teachers who chose to leave the teaching profession because of an extended period without work and pay. This presents a challenge to SDG 4 in many countries. This panel proposes to explore the impact of COVID-19 on enrollment, retention, performance and inequalities amongst the school age children as well as the supply of teachers in the circumstances. We expect both quantitative and qualitative approaches in explaining these phenomena and look forward to rich experiences from the continent.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Saturday 3 June, 2023, -Paper short abstract:
This research aimed to assess how the closure of schools due to COVID-19 affected the production and sale of agricultural produce of farmers who were involved in the school feeding programme; what other markets served as an alternative for the marketing of produce.
Paper long abstract:
This research aimed to assess how the closure of schools due to COVID-19 affected the production and sale of agricultural produce of farmers who were involved in the school feeding programme; what other markets served as an alternative for the marketing of produce; what constraints they had in accessing these alternative markets; and what type of support was mobilised. For this study we collected data from farmers who supplied food products to schools through the project Agroecological practices and participatory marketing as a tool for school nutrition and community safety for rural populations on the islands of Santo Antão and Fogo residing on the islands of Fogo and Santo Antão. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. In addition to the interviews, we also collected and analysed the news disseminated online by the Cabo Verdean press during the period of confinement. We conclude that farmers on the islands of Fogo and Santo Antão faced different challenges during the emergency and school closure period due to the pandemic of COVID19. In Fogo, farmers produce mainly rain-fed crops such as maize, beans and fruits such as apples, peaches and grapes. With the closure of schools, farmers opted to increase the time of drying and storage of products. The island of Santo Antão is a region of predominantly irrigated vegetable production.
Paper short abstract:
The study analyzed the compliance level of COVID-19 protective protocols among public and private secondary sch in Nigeria and what it means for the future in the restructuring of schools as the new normal post pandemic. COVID-19 disease spreads through contact hence the need for preventive protocol
Paper long abstract:
The study methodology involved adapting the WHO COVID-19 protocols checklist which was used to check compliance of schools when schools re-opened in January, 2021 after the nation-wide lockdown in Nigeria in 2020. The study population was all the private and public secondary schools in Yenagoa metropolis of Bayelsa State, South of Nigeria. This consists of twenty-nine (29) private secondary schools and twenty-four (24) public secondary schools. All the private and public schools were visited by the researcher (population equal sample size n = 53). It was found out that there was partial adherence to the WHO COVID-19 preventive protocols in all the schools visited but a better compliance in private schools compared to public schools. More students were wearing face mask in the private schools (90%) visited as compared to the public schools (40%). Provision of alcohol-base hand sanitizers, avoiding touching of surfaces, and temperature check were the least protocol complied with by both public and private secondary schools. Strict adherence or compliance with the COVID-19 directives is a serious challenge amidst other existing and endemic myriad of challenges in the Nigerian schools. Based on this finding, it is therefore recommended that provisions be made for the compliance to the protocols going forward. Provisions of hand washing facilities; thermometers for temperature checking; and emphasis on seating arrangement in the classroom to reflect physical/social distancing; should be the new normal. During school assembly, the school populace should be educated on the dangers of hugging, handshakes, and the need to be vaccinated.
Paper short abstract:
Only 63% of Ugandan refugee learners learnt in lockdown. Household socioeconomic status, location and disability status affected learning. About 60% of learners reported a learner not reentering school due to; loss of interest, pregnancy, marriage, business and refusal by parents.
Paper long abstract:
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic affected educational systems, leading to closure of schools globally. In Uganda, the closure of schools in March 2020 prompted government and partners to embrace new mechanisms of education continuity inclusive of refugee hosting districts. These included; distribution of home learning materials and online teaching through radios, televisions and internet (Tumwesige, 2020). In some areas, learner’s access to online learning was hampered by; slow and unreliable connectivity, inadequate ICT skills, high cost of Wi-Fi and unequal access to new technologies. Besides, by 2018, 65% of Ugandan households owned a radio, 22% owned a Television set, 6% had a computer at home,11% owned a telephone while another 11% had at least one member who accessed internet (NITA, 2018).
This paper used a data-set of 3004 learners following a Covid-19 Survey by Education Response Plan in term one of 2022 in six refugee-hosting districts.
We discover that 63% of learners accessed learning during lock down. These were more likely to be from; wealthier, enlightened households, the districts of Kikuube, Kyegegwa and Lamwo, upper primary classes, and not disabled. Besides, 60% of the learners reported knowing a learner in their neighborhood who did not return to school. Reasons for this were, in order of importance; loss of interest, pregnancy, marriage, engaging in business, breastfeeding and being stopped by parents or guardians.
We recommend that; stakeholders invest in livelihood projects for households, sensitize communities about the role of education and help reintegrate and give skills to youths for sustainable development.
Paper short abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic though initially thought of as a great equalizer, exposed and further deepened inequalities of different forms. Differentiated access to remote learning resources due to socioeconomic status and locality had profound effects on the ability keep learning at home.
Paper long abstract:
At the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, many scholars and commentators characterized it as the great equalizer as it afflicted both the poor and powerless as well as the rich and powerful in the same manner. The short- and long-term ramifications of the pandemic have, however, pointed to a further deepening of inequalities in almost all societies. This is especially so in the case of the transition to remote learning (synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid) to facilitate continued teaching and learning. This paper examines the influence of socio-economic factors on access and use of learning resources in the wake of the sudden shift to remote learning. Through a concurrent convergent mixed method design, data was collected from 778 respondents and participants in the Greater Accra and Greater Tamale area. We found that a variety of remote platforms were used to facilitate continued learning. These include, TV/Radio, synchronous, asynchronous and non-synchronous platforms as well as home schooling. A clear and positive relationship was shown between socio-economic status and the sophistication of remote platform used. Access to internet, computer and other internet enabled gadgets curtailed access to internet based platforms. Teacher preparedness to properly use the platforms was shown to be low especially among public school teachers. Resourcing schools to be ICT and technology enabled as well as training teachers is vital.
Paper long abstract:
The Ivorian education system has two types of study paths: one formal and the other non-formal constituted by Islamic educational structures managed by religious or private actors. This communication describes reactions of these non-state actors to the response measures against the Covid-19 pandemic in Bouaké, a town located in the center of Côte d'Ivoire. Although nearly four hundred kilometers from Abidjan, where many cases of infection was registered, Bouaké has lived to the rhythm of information around Covid-19 crisis. It first saw panic seize its inhabitants, before experiencing the application of its social distancing measures, with the closure of schools, including Islamic educational structures. Confinement at home, which underpinned these emergency provisions, gave rise to the idea of distance learning. If the reopening of classes has caused concern for all schools, it is notable that these difficulties have been harshly felt in Islamic education structures where a dialogue has had to be initiated between official standards and practical standards to save the both the school year and the promoters of these schools of the consequences of Covid-19.
More descriptive than analytical, this communication takes place in Bouaké, known as a gateway of the introduction of medersas in Côte d'Ivoire. However, data collection extended to the city of Abidjan, the economic capital and headquarters of the majority of Islamic umbrella organizations. This collection of materials consisted of virtual participant observations of the practices of the actors involved in the promotion of Islamic schools relayed on social networks.