Until the emergence of the novel coronavirus, also known as covid-19, schooling has been a normal routine to students at all levels. Students normally attend classes during weekdays and weekends, meet in groups for discussion, sporting activities as well as going on educational trips. Students in their final year in the Junior High and Senior High levels were earnestly preparing for their final year exams i.e BECE and WASSCE respectively. But as part of the effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, all private and public schools had to close down.
On testing two positive cases of the novel coronavirus in Ghana, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, on Sunday, 15th March announced the closure of all Universities, Senior High Schools and Basic Schools i.e both private and public on 16th March, 2020. In response to this, students had to stay at home to ensure that they limit their interactions with others and slow the spread of the virus.
The novel coronavirus has greatly impacted the lives of both teachers and students leading them to learn and teach remotely from their homes. Although technology is used in most school affairs, the ultimate dependence on technology overnight has become a major challenge to both teachers and students. Students are struggling with technological difficulties as well as coping with the challenges of studying at home.
Here in Ghana, only a few students in the basic and secondary schools use smart phones so this becomes a difficult medium to use to lecture them. Some institutes as well as government organizations are trying to teach them through mediums like television, but how many have television in their homes?
Although most tertiary institutions are effectively teaching and learning remotely from their homes using apps like WhatsApp, Goggle classroom, Zoom among others, most students do not have access to computers and internet in their homes, thus, they tend out to miss every lecture undertaken electronically. This leads to only a few students partaking with majority left behind.
Concentration has also become a major problem at home. Though students learn conveniently from their homes, giving a concentrated mind to everything taught is a problem faced by many. There are many distractions that drive the minds of children away from learning in their homes since they are not used to. Some have always been watching television as well as playing with friends. Some of the children are also found roaming seeing the closure as a holiday. “If children are to resume schooling, I’m sure many will go to school empty headed”, a parent said. While parents with formal education actively involve their children in the E-learning, it is an option for those without. They rather push them to go in search of jobs to make ends meet since they are home.
Since the closure of schools and universities, most school administrations have been trying to make-up with their students but many are the problems they are facing. While some of the students are happy the teaching and learning didn’t end abruptly since the closure, most are worried because of the challenges they are going through with some not being able to partake at all so they are looking forward for it to be fully reopened for effective learning to resume.
Photo Credit: tantvstudios.com
