Find out impact of virus on schools, dept told

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
THE National Churches Education Council has suggested to the Education Department to conduct a research on the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) on schools.
Council chairman Michael Ova told The National that the Covid-19 had disrupted the normal teaching and learning process, and that the impact was continuing.
He said that due to the pandemic, students at a school in a remote part of Gulf were yet to sit their Grade 8 national examination for last year.
Ova said the students would now have to repeat the grade so that they could sit the examination this year.
He suggested that a proper study be carried out immediately to find out how the Covid-19 had affected teaching and learning processes in schools.
“The Education Department’s research unit has to conduct the study to find out how the pandemic has affected student performance internally and externally,” Ova said.
“Although the virus had not impacted many rural communities, the lockdowns, restrictions and the ‘New Normal’ had been challenging for rural schools.
“We conducted our Covid-19 awareness programme in most of these schools and have observed how much they were affected by the pandemic.”