By Juliet Ogbodu
KWALE/Nigeria: The covid-19 pandemic has become stale news but it’s effect on the people continues to generate reactions from various quarters. All over Nigeria, economic activities have been adversely affected.
In Kwale, the story is not different. However, our story for the day bothers on the effect of covid-19 on the educational sector here in Kwale.
Towards the of March, schools were closed unceremoniously due to government’s order as a way of preventing or reducing the spread of corona virus. It was the hope of students and teachers that normalcy would return in no distant time but this hope has become a mirage.
Students billed to write certificate and external examinations like first school leaving certificate examination, junior secondary school examinations, West African Examination Council (WAEC), and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations have all been left in suspense as to what becomes of their examinations. We went round Kwale town to get reactions from secondary school students.
The generality of students we spoke to said they were tired of staying at home and wanted schools to resume. Some of them said their parents had to engage them with home lesson teachers while others whose parents do not have the financial wherewithal to employ a private teacher have been trying to study on their own. They bitterly complained about boredom and prayed government to seriously consider re-opening schools.
With the government still trying to be cautious about returning general economic activities to normal, one wonders when the desire of the students will be granted. Let us watch and see how it goes.
