EFFECT OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON SECONDARY EDUCATION

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study 

The outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic also known as COVID-19 in Wuhan, the ground Zero of the virus and the Capital City of Hubei Province in the Republic of China on September 2019 and that which later spread to other parts of the world, has affected the entire world populace and businesses (Kim, 2020). Most importantly, the outbreak of the pandemic has impacted negatively on schools’ resumptions that have long been closed down in virtually all the nations of the world, including Nigeria. Following the 27th February 2020 declaration of the first case of the virus in Lagos, Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigerian students seem to have been made to pay the price for this global debacle, a war of bioterrorism, as alleged by the conspiracy theorists, and that which has impacted negatively on the system of education in the country. Since the commencement of the directive of the Federal government to close down schools in the country, precisely on the March 2020, things have never been the same for parents and students alike (Amorighoye, 2020; EiEWG, 2020).

While medical experts justified the continued closure of Nigerian schools in the face of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, some critics, analysts and scholars argued that the continued closure of schools despite the fact that markets, churches, mosques, businesses and public offices have been long reopened for businesses, has negative impacts on Nigerian students who are already exposed to a declined standard of education. Some have also argued that the continued closure of schools across the federation would amounts to unnecessary abuse or violation of the rights of Nigerian students to education, as well as obstructing the annual school academic calendar and truncating the expected year of entry; and delaying the promotion of students to the next level of studies and graduation from schools, colleges and universities (Oluka, et al., 2020).

According to the Nigerian Education in Emergency Working Group (EiEWG) (2020) the outbreak of COVID-19 and the closure of schools in the country complicated the humanitarian, development and government partnership efforts, particularly in the North-Eastern part of the country, making it very difficult for the implementation responses to COVID-19 programmes such as funding, movements from place to place and to the IDP camps, etc. Following this complicating circumstance, the EiEWG argued that the suddenness of the crisis of COVID-19 has impacted negatively on education not only in northern Nigeria that education has been continually interrupted by insurgency of the Boko Haram, but also on other regions of the country. To this effects, the questions as to why schools, colleges and universities are yet to be reopened despite the fact that adult citizens are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 attacks and not school children; and why is it that the education sector is targeted and profoundly affected despite the fact that businesses, public offices and worship centres including mosques and churches have long reopened by the government arises. 

Statement of the Problem

In the face of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), national governments provided palliatives of all kinds to ameliorate the suffering of the masses, and most significantly revolutionised digital and online education in their respective countries following the shutdown of businesses, social activities, places of worship and schools across the world. Unfortunately, some rural communities in Nigeria have been struggling to actualise the set objectives and the essence of engaging the Nigerian students to bridge the gaps predated by the outbreak of the virus and the subsequent closures of schools, colleges and universities in the country. Notably, the closure of schools since March 2020 in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has been criticised in some quarters and has also generated a lot of perturbing national issues that are yet to be resolved. Some critics have had to argue that the continued closure of Nigerian schools in the face of the outbreak of the virus has complicated the problems in our education sector which has suffered a setback due to poor leadership, corruption, inadequate funding, and low infrastructure sector development. In line with this, the researchers investigate the causes and effects of covid-19 on education in Nigeria, with emphasis to Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa state.

Aims and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this research is to investigate the causes and effects of covid-19 on education in Nigeria with reference to Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa state. The specific objectives of this study includes:-

To identify the extent to which Covid-19 pandemic affected educational system in Nigeria.

To identify the extent to Covid-19 confinement on impact students’ performance in F.C.E, Yola.

To proffer measures on how to manage Covid-19 among lecturers and students in F.C.E, Yola.

Research Questions

Following the above research objectives, the following research questions were formulated to guide the study.

To what extent does Covid-19 pandemic affects educational system in Nigeria?

To what extent does Covid-19 confinement impact students’ performance in F.C.E, Yola?

What are the possible measures of managing Covid-19 among lecturers and students in F.C.E, Yola?

Significance of the Study

The findings from this study, which present the causes and effects of covid-19 on education in Nigeria, can be great benefit to the school management in Federal College of Education, Yola to provide emotional support, increase motivation, improve attitudes toward change, and support the advancement of knowledge of sustainable educational skills of each beneficiary of the education system and also provide measures in managing the spread of Covid-19 in school. 

Through the findings in this study, government would be made known on the effects of Covid-19 on educational system in the country, hence, necessary measures will be taking to revive the educational system which will be beneficial to the society.

Precaution the said is better than cure; therefore, the findings in this study will be of great impact to the health and wellbeing of both lecturers and students of Federal College of Education, in knowing certain precaution to take within and outside the school premises to avoid being victim of Covid-19. 

Furthermore, this study will add to body of literature, hence, it will serve as a reference material for future researchers carry out research related to Covid-19 on education.

Scope of the Study

The study is centered on the causes and effects of Covid-19 on education in Nigeria, breaking it down, the study will ascertain how Covid-19 pandemic has affected educational system in Nigeria, students’ performance and the measures to be taking to avoid its spread especially in the study area.

The researchers will have love this research work to cover all the institution in the state, but due to inadequate fund and time, the research work was limited to only federal college of education, Yola Adamawa State.         

Definition of Terms  

Covid-19: CO’ stands for corona ‘VI’ for virus, ad ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as 2019 novel coronavirus.

Pandemic: A disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.

Educational System: Refers to the economic and social factors that typically make up public schools at the federal, state or community levels.

Causes: The reason why something, especially something bad, happens.

Effect: A change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.