Uncertainty of reopening schools and the challenges ahead

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The closure of school nationwide has disrupted learning and access to vital school-provided services for a record number of students in Nigeria.

On March 19, 2020, a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education granted an approval for the closure of all school for a period of one month commencing from Monday, March 23, 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Each state in Nigeria has, however, contextualised this circular.

According to UNESCO, almost 40 million learners have been affected by the nationwide school closures in Nigeria, of which over 91 per cent are primary and secondary school learners. In a short time, COVID-19 has disrupted the landscape of learning by limiting how students can access learning across the country.

For an already fragile education system, the COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges on the government, students, and parents, and could amplify some of the cracks in the system.

As the nation begins to grapple with these challenges, a key question arises: Is the Nigerian education system designed to adapt rapidly to the changing world? Given the state of affairs in the world today, the nation’s ability to ensure continuation of learning will depend largely on their ability to swiftly harness available technology, provide adequate infrastructure, and mobilise stakeholders to prepare alternative learning programmes.

To cushion the effects of the pandemic, the world is embracing technological innovations. Virtual interactions are increasingly adopted to replace face-to-face engagements and limit the total disruption to many sectors.

The use of distance learning programmes, open educational applications, and platforms by schools and teachers to reach learners remotely like Zoom class, Google class, has had tremendous effect. These could include other integrated digital learning platforms video lessons, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and broadcast through radio and television.

The success of these recommendations in Nigeria hinges on the use of high technology or low technology solutions, which are based on the reliability of local power supply, Internet connectivity and digital skills of teachers, students, parents, and caretakers.

Now is the time to bridge the gap of educational inequity by ensuring adequate funding of the education sector. The effect of the pandemic is just one out of many implications of educational inequity; we don’t know what awaits us in the future.

So, it is highly important that we provide an equitable and inclusive learning environment for the students to ensure continuity in learning for all, irrespective of their socio-economic background. One of the palliative measures that can be adopted includes a public and private partnership with non-profits and other government agencies who are working to salvage the situation.

Such efforts can be supported through the provision of funds at this critical time. We should not forget that education is the bedrock of every society as it is the solution to whatever problem we might have.

Let us remember that whatever the problem is, education remains the solution. The future is in our hands to decide, let us join hands together to make Nigeria a better place through quality and inclusive education.

Yusuf Sani Maitama, Bayero University, Kano

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