It is worth recalling that Nigeria recorded her first case of COVID-19 on the 27th of February 2020. After several cases in major states in Nigeria, the Federal Government (FG) on 27 March ordered the indefinite suspension of social and religious gatherings and the closure of schools.
The lock-down put a pause to the academic calendar of schools for over four months. One of the sectors affected by the COVID-19 lockdown is the education sector. Since the coronavirus outbreak, vast majority of school has been temporarily closed around the world.
The number of students out of school reached its highest peak ever. According to United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 1.9 billion students are unable to attend schools all over the world.
Many students from advanced and developed countries resorted into digital school but majority of students had no or little access to online classes.
Lack of technology, reliable internet access and electricity were of disadvantage to most students from underdeveloped and developing countries.
To know the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and closure on students, this correspondent engaged two students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba.
Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba, the 21st century university properly called is one of the tertiary institutions in Nigeria yet to resume academic activities.
Owolabi Oluwaseun Oluyemi, A 200 level student of Biochemistry shared to this reporter how the closure of schools have affected him.
“The pandemic and school closure has affected me a lot. I have not been able to read since the last day in school, I’m the type of person that don’t like reading alone, I love to read with my friends because it’s easy to know whenever mistake is being made. My friends and I have a unique way of reading, what we do is that each one of us chooses a topic, we give ourselves a week to study the topic, afterward gather to teach one another and we grab it easily.
“The process works very well for us but since we are far from one another, we have been denied of the great learning technique and it’s affecting every one of us.
I am just getting used to reading alone, sometimes I do fall asleep but with time, I think it will get better.
“I definitely know this COVID-19 pandemic will affect majority of students’ academic performances, most students have been traumatized you know some has lost loved ones, some has been affected economically, it’s just a sad year for the world.
“The major effect of this school closure, it has delayed the academic calendar. If not for the closure of school, we would have been in semester even preparing for examination but we are yet to write the first semester examination.”
Another respondent, Jayne Davids, A 200 level student of AAUA said the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has affected her academically.
“The pandemic has affected me academically. Since March, I have not been able to read, the book doesn’t feel appealing anymore.
I have been academically distanced from my group and lower my intelligence book-wise. I now give my best to social media because that is the only way to have fun this days.
“It has affected psychologically lately due to the fact I do not longer know how to make friends. It has been 8 months I had the opportunity to have a close interaction with my friends.
The lockdown has changed me from a socialized person to someone that now love being alone.”
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 216 countries and territories around the world.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, more than 51,287,248 positive cases have been reported and 1,270,080 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded so far across the globe.
The World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over and a vaccine may not be ready until 2021.
It’s time for government and school authorities to work hand-in-hand to find a lasting solution to the issue so that students can go back to school.
Author
