COVID-19 Aftermath Makes Schools Run Faster Than Students Can Cope
Ajibade Ridwan Adebowale
COVID-19 Came with it’s storm, but the aftermath came with and even greater storm on various categories of people especially the Nigerian Student who unlike their counterparts in advanced nations could not proceed with a virtual learning scheme during the lockdown.
One the consequences of this is the accelerated speed with which institutions are now struggling to balance up their academic calendar within a very thin timeframe, a situation that is causing lots of lamentations among students even though these are proactive measure taken by these higher institutions in order to regain academic stability and normalize their activities.
Suffice to say that students are feeling a sense of detachment from school campuses due to such academic overburden.
Covid 19 which emerged from China and has struck the world so hard since last year, penetrated the Nation rapidly and people were orced to experience the resultant Lockdown which crippled various sectors in the country.
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The educational institutions suffered the worst blow and have been trying hard to device ways to cope with it’s consequences so as not to create further advese effect.
Not withstanding, this necessity posed by the pandemic has come with alot of detriment for the Nigerian student.
Students academic performance driven by emotional stability is ignored by the management on the course of deducting significant period of time from academic calendars. Some stakeholders are remorseful in taking this difficult measure while some deem it unnecessary because they feel they are doing their best as they are also taking decision which does not correlate with the interest of schools to restore orderly academic activity.
In addition to this measure, schools management has charged its learning facilitators to cover most of their courseworks even if it is going to be based on improvisation. This is however an unrealistic practice because it is not easy for them as most are occupied with other important academic or non academic engagements in and beyond the school. A lecturer has admitted that he felt disappointed that he would not be able to cover the course that was designed for him with a class due to the shaky academic calendar.
Some lecturers that tend to be objective in performing their academic responsibilities often ignore the most significant aspect especially in the area of lecture delivery. They tried to capture the course outline and leave out important topics. Fortunately, most lecturers are quite aware of what the students are experiencing at this crucial time. I think it’s because in a way, they are affected by these hard decisions. This situation may have in a way eased some burden on students as the lecturers are seen trying to narrow their coursework for them.
Students Nationwide have been expressing displeasure over the measure aimed at restoring stability to academic activity.
Students in Bayero university Kano, Kano state have equally voiced out their take on this development. A Mass communication student, Haleemat Sadeeyah said the modification of the academic calendar has made the school activity to be tough for her.
Another Mass communication student, Fauziyah Baba stated thus, “I feel like going on a vacation right now, from this overwhelming school activity. It is too tough.”
A University of Abuja student, Akin, while narrating his experience in their just concluded session, said ‘ they used 7 weeks to complete second semester which was supposed to be 14-15 weeks. It was really tough for them, “infact some students did not even bother coming to lectures.
UNIABUJA calendar was too short and we had only two weeks break to resume next session. I thank God though,” Akin lamented.
Students in other regions too were not left out in this outcry, especially in South West and south south of Nigeria. A LASU student, Seidu Olasoji stated that although they are running the normal academic calendar yet it looks like they don’t have time, probably because they never had time to rest well in just a week first semester break that was given to them which made it seems as if they are operating ‘semester continue’ system. An engagement with a UNICAL student, Waje Livia made it known that their academic calendar has also been cut short which has made school activity to be stressful for them.
Therefore, this challenging experience has influenced some students to develop nonchalant attitude towards study as a result of their inability to cope with the rough condition of higher institutions.
Although some are trying to be emotionally stable to cope but I fear they would get discouraged because of the dying academic spirit in other students amidst the gruesome condition of schools currently.
Schools management and stakeholders in relation to government should further device an approach to manage the affairs of higher centers of learning which COVID 19 has disrupted.
It is instructive to know that students academic performance should not by any means be affected in order for schools not to loose it’s purpose and relevance to the society. Students should also ensure they comply with schools’ measure so as to yeild positive result that would be beneficial to the academic community at large.
