This article is written by Tatiana Gómez Tibasosa on behalf of Icare Sustainably to create awareness on the effect of COVID-19 on education and to give youth a platform. The mission of Icare is modelled on the SDG goals.  This article focuses on ‘How COVID-19 affected higher education in Colombia.’

This article is part of a series about education and COVID-19. Find other articles about COVID and education in the series here:

• Colombia: How teachers continued education in rural regions during COVID-19
• Trinidad and Tobago: Focus on the power of students to continue education during a pandemic
• Documentary Standby students: Impact of COVID-19 on education
• Kenya: The widening gap between rich and poor, education, and COVID-19

Introduction: How COVID-19 affected higher education in Colombia and how students kept going

It has been 2 years and a little more since the news about the appearance of a virus that, against all odds, invaded the world in a matter of weeks and the habits of societies, whatever their customs were, were drastically modified to generate in an accelerated way new activities that avoid (expected) new infections.

Access to higher education in Latin America turns out to be a challenge for a significant percentage of the population at a young age, who do not have enough resources (sometimes) to pay tuition and curricula without having the need to acquire a bank loan or with a state entity; and in the adult population, represents a challenge when it comes to fulfilling work responsibilities and filling academic activities through double days that involve a consummate effort years later.

However, this article aims to visualize the current state of university education in Colombia, where students and teachers have overcome countless obstacles and challenges to continue the learning and teaching processes in fields such as research or science, after the unexpected blow of the COVID-19 pandemic that, without a doubt, generated abrupt changes in the lifestyle, habits, and customs of population groups around the world.

Remembering the educational landscape

According to the Colombian Ministry of Education (2016) “The higher education system is one of the five in Latin America that managed to rank among the 50 strongest in the world, according to the “QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings”, which was published on May 18 in London.

Colombia, meanwhile, ranked 34th in this ranking, which measures how strong higher education systems are global. The ranking compares the performance of countries’ higher education based on four measurement criteria: system strength, access, flagship institution, and economic context.”

However, and despite the apparently successful statistics, access to higher education fell, by 1.5% in 2018, representing a total of 38,000 fewer enrolled than in 2016. That is, the magazine Portafolio indicated in December 2019, according to the aforementioned studies, 570,000 students who on average enrolled annually in Colombia, decreased to 477,000 by 2018.

The above could be attributed to different causes that frame, as mentioned at the beginning, the difficulty of economic access to pay tuition and subsequent semesters, once it is understood that private education is inaccessible to some fronts of society; however, other areas are presented in the decrease in access to higher education, such as the lack of motivation in the currently defined programs, the absence of virtual modules and the regulation of labor competitiveness, since some traditional companies in the country are opting for the hiring of unskilled or poorly trained labor, to occupy positions that in theory should correspond to university professionals.

Effects of COVID-19 on higher education in Colombia

On the other hand, the spread of COVID-19 also affected among many spheres that of higher education in Latin America and occasionally in Colombia. Specters such as school dropout, the obligatory jump to virtuality in some of the most archaic pedagogical practices and the imperative need to look for new economic sources that allow collaborating with the household economy, stood out significantly.

Although access to higher education in Colombia is not easy for a large part of the population, the coronavirus also added conditions not previously contemplated.

Some universities did not have virtual platforms that offered long-distance programs except for those specialized in the subject and others, definitively suspended various careers to cover the expenses of the campus. Faced with this, the challenge became greater.

The increase in school dropout due to the same number of infections of their own and of relatives sought to visualize new panoramas in medical care and the prioritization of the state of health of social groups, which required new economic investments in hospital treatments and experimental medicines.
Finally, the informal economy due to the growth of patients with COVID-19 increased to cover the expenses that increased due to the absence of providers at home given the high number of death of adults.

The higher education landscape in Colombia today

With a scenario as bleak as that caused by the pandemic, Colombia is characterized by being an enterprising and hard-working country, which despite the circumstances seeks mostly the materialization of projects and new companies to comply with the demand of economic and competitive internal patterns, and of course, university education was no exception.

Autonomously, the higher education campuses resorted to three (3) major strategies to resume their student flow and be able to help students at the completion of their careers:

1. In the first instance, they tried to generate virtual programs so that teachers and students could continue with their classes without interruption. However, it produced a drastic change in the way in which knowledge was imparted, not all academics were satisfied with the measure, although there were no alternatives in the cities with the highest number of infections, more when not all students have access to internet service.
2. Secondly, transition measures to face-to-face attendance were adopted through biosecurity standards framed in self-care, and the intermittent attendance of students and teachers to avoid the increase in infections.
3. Finally, mass vaccination was key in the possibility of resuming daily activities, which, by August 2021, in Colombia generated the total reopening of educational spaces in the hope of improving the dropout figures and the motivation to enroll in the programs that gradually returned to normality.

Closing remarks: future higher-education in Colombia

Now we know how COVID-19 affected higher education in Colombia.

The challenge now is to not lower our guard against possible outbreaks or modifications of the initial virus that may put the world population on alert and that structure new isolation prevention measures. And meanwhile, educational entities are in a maximum effort to capture the attention of students through promotions, modules and educational accesses that allow increasing the number of current professionals, so that in the future, there is no shortage of experts.

Universities in particular require large state economic incentives to give attention to a possible increase in demand if the outlook is favourable later and why not, maintain hope in the improvement of the national educational quality?

This article is written by Tatiana Gómez Tibasosa on behalf of Icare Sustainably International. Edited by Rianne Doller and Carolyne Nyarangi.

This article is part of a series where we look into the effects of the pandemic on Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality education for all. In previous articles, we looked at it from the perspective of Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago and we made a documentary. Icare is committed to working on the SDGs despite the Pandemic. These articles are part of our research to find out which projects are necessary.

Download the article here.

Introduction

1: Shift in focus to study teachers’ initiatives in Colombia to mitigate effects of the pandemic

In previous articles we focused on what the government is doing, should do and can do to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on education for marginalized people. In this article, we shift the focus from the government to put three Colombian initiatives by teachers in the limelight. We shift the focus to show that overcoming the pandemic is not only in the government’s hands. We should also focus on the power of the people and the value of localized initiatives. Local people know best what fits in their specific situation and it puts less dependency on governments who don’t always respond quickly and effectively enough. One example of this need is regulations that both take into account hand-washing, together with the reality of water shortage.

The overwhelming and drastic changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the possibility of rethinking and reconfiguring habits, customs and treatments (1). This is based on the measures and associated new ways of socializing that include, among others, different commute times, working from home and, of course, unimaginable challenges in the education field.

Our article will show that the switch in education is not unilateral, but location dependent. This by discussing some of the biggest challenges that the educational system has had in Colombia: a country that struggles with all its might to maintain a quality standard that is competitive with its neighbouring countries, despite the economic and infrastructural helplessness of the National government.

The pandemic exposed the realities of the involvement of the Colombian government in the living standard of the majority of the population. State aid is not available for a lot of people and all economic, educational and social success is through the people’s own efforts and interest. Some notable areas the government is lacking are: providing public services (electricity, natural gas, aqueduct, sewerage and internet) and social services (health, education, housing, transportation and recreation).

In this article, the effort of the Colombian government is compared with that of the people regarding their respective solutions to continue education during the pandemic.

1.1: In this article we will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction: Shift in focus to study teachers’ initiatives in Colombia to mitigate the effects of the pandemic

2. Colombian education is in quarantine together with the people 

2.1: Context of Colombia

2.2 Action taken in Colombia to prevent the spread of Covid-19

3. How is education organized in rural Colombia?

3.1 Case-studies: impact Covid-measures on rural education

Case-study 1: When students can’t come to school, school comes to the children

Case study 2: Teachers take over the radio

Case-study 3: Education in shifts to save water

3.2: Take away case-studies

4. Conclusion: Lessons from the teachers during the pandemic

2: Colombian education is in quarantine together with the people

2.2: Action taken in Colombia to prevent spread of Covid-19

Governments around the world were forced to take preventive measures in a matter of hours to contain spread. There were some sceptical governments who stated that it was only a political strategy of the countries with greater economic development. Other governmental bodies quickly banned crowds, motivated constant handwashing and the use of a face mask.

Additionally, without hesitation, some of the state budgets were aimed to improve hospitals, create tests to detect the virus, and purchase Intensive Care Units (ICUs) to provide care for as many people as possible. Consequently, education programs became less relevant in a time when education changed drastically because students and teachers don’t meet in person anymore but through a screen with virtual classes(3). These circumstances demand even greater creativity and innovation  to work for all students for every region of Colombia. This article sheds light on this issue with the following three questions in mind:

1. What happens in areas where virtual schooling is not an option (4)?
2. How will the uneducated underage population, or the kids with special needs, get access to virtual learning?
3. What are the impacts on education in a country like Colombia, for the rural regions specifically?

3: How is education organized in rural Colombia?

3.1: Case-studies: impact Covid-measures on rural education

Once the pandemic “season” began and the national media announced the first prevention measures included the closure of roads, quarantine in the biggest cities and the mandatory social distancing that included the closure of events in bars, shopping malls and restaurants. 

The main challenges in rural areas is a  limited opportunity to buy and sell agricultural products, suspension of transport services to crowded areas to visit health centres, and of course, in-person classes were stopped throughout the country. The last point meant that boys and girls in the most remote areas  would be left without receiving any classes or assistance unless they would think of some strategy together with the teachers that would allow them to continue learning while protecting themselves from the contagious COVID-19. We will discuss examples of some of those initiatives below.

Case-study 1: When students can’t come to school, school comes to the children

In some municipalities of Tolima department (Colombia), Rural Educational Institutions (REI) are located in the middle of dense forests and areas which are  difficult to access by road. Some teachers from these schools have designed a series of guides that they printed and photocopied to take to each property where children reside who cannot go to educational centres directly (5).

The teachers in charge of their respective village school travelled  by motorcycle to take these guides to each house. The journey is long and risky, but still the teachers chose to undertake it. This also enabled them to offer a brief explanation of the guide and its contents to the student and caretakers. At the end of the week they went to each house again to give feedback to the materials and to answer questions of the students.

Case study 2: Teachers take over the radio

Case-study 3: Education in shifts to save water

The Eastern region of Colombia is characterized by its wide plains and desert areas. In this area, mainly peasants and indigenous people reside. Here schooling in shifts was chosen as a solution to continue education of both the underage and adult population. Lessons were planned in time frames and in a weekly schedule. Students attend classes in small groups with their parents. This enabled everyone to keep distance and also to not run out of water in the sanitary units. With the schedule the students receive class at least three times a week. This is enough to maintain pre-pandemic academic levels. 

Water is scarce in the Eastern region, so a solution had to be found that also diminishes pressure on the scarce resource, so the schools don’t run out of water or deplete the water for other uses.

3.2: Take away case-studies

Teachers from all over the country have created instruments, methodologies and tools to continue educating the learners. Each method is adapted to the students and regions’ specific challenges and needs. One thing is apparent: none of the solutions uses electronic learning despite the fact that it is offered as the best solution for schooling during the pandemic. There is a simple reason for that.

There is no internet coverage in most areas and students also lack access to computers or other electronic gadgets. If they have access, student and teachers lack the knowledge to use online schooling materials.  Therefore, it is important to also focus on other alternative ways to continue education. We can learn from the spontaneous effort of the teachers if we don’t fixate on the one-case fits all solution of online learning.

Another takeaway from the case studies is that a one-solution fits all approach can cause more problems. If teachers in Eastern Colombia had allowed all students and parents to visit the school without a schedule it could have caused a water shortage.

4: Conclusion: Lessons from the teachers during the pandemic

Creativity is an endless resource used by teachers to ensure schooling continues.  But, shouldn’t the National Government be the one who provides the resources for the improvement of the educational system in pandemic times? Because the alternatives provided by the educators from the three rural areas we discussed were all done without government involvement, be it by providing educational resources, knowledge or money. 

Teachers need new and better educational instruments that allow them to strengthen their teaching methods, their technological skills and their didactic instruments to motivate and strengthen learning in each learner. The government should assist the teachers by providing those resources. Examples of resources they should provide are:

This is also in the benefit of the government. When students from rural and remote areas have a means to continue their education the overall standard of education in Colombia increases. Consequently, this will create more competitive human beings with better social and economical skills. And well-educated people are vital to overcome the pandemic and to rebuild the world afterwards.

-Mitigating negative impact on education and the Sustainable Development Goals caused by Covid-19

This article is written by Rianne Doller, Carolyne Nyarangi and Debbie Williams Campbell on behalf of Icare Sustainably.

This article is part of a series where we look into the effects of the pandemic on Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality education for all. In previous articles, we looked at it from the perspective of Kenya, and we made a documentary. In future articles, we will discuss it from the perspective of Colombia and from a global perspective as summary. Icare is committed to working on the SDGs despite the Pandemic.

Download the article here. Find the transcript of the interviews in the reference section.

Introduction:

Importance of the Sustainable Development Goals during the pandemic

The SDGs are a useful framework to base development projects on because they are formulated and ratified by all 193 member states of the UN. The goal of the SDGs is to create a better, fairer world for everyone. One of the key mission statements is ‘to leave no one behind’ (1). The 17 goals aim to create a better and sustainable place for the people and the ecosystems alike by 2030.

The Covid-19 pandemic has derailed the achievement of the Goals globally. Our first article, which was written during the first wave, illustrated some impacts of the pandemic. Currently, we are experiencing the second wave and negative implications are continuing. The big question is “How do we move from here?’ With many countries experiencing a second and third wave of the Covid-19, and many of them considering a second lockdown, it is becoming apparent that the (non-health) consequences of the pandemic will be much more severe than anticipated.

In this article, we focus on the consequences of the pandemic on education from the perspective of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). TT is a small island state in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 1.4 million people. Therefore, the consequences will be different from other countries. We hope that this article gives insight into the unique challenges of island-states. We also hope that the recommendations given in the conclusion will lead the way forward to deal with the negative consequences. In this way, we truly leave nobody behind, also not the small countries.

We have interviewed students, educators and parents to find out how the pandemic has impacted education.  The interviews and our own research on the topic form the basis for this article.

In this article we will cover the following topics:

1. Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the progress of the SDGs in Trinidad Tobago
   • Education
   • Innovation and Technology
   • Healthy living
   • Economy
2. Conclusion & recommendations

2. The Covid-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago

Fortunately, preventive measures have been successful. Part of this is because the people of TT cooperated. Part of the reason the population supported the regulations is that the government did not only focus on stopping the spread of the virus but also increased the social security of the people. This gave the people some comfort, despite the drop in living standards (5).

3. Four areas the pandemic impacts Trinidad and Tobago

While the negative impact of the pandemic cannot be ignored, we should also focus on what we’ve learned since the start. Times of stress can help to re-identify what’s important and what we should focus on. Not only in our own future but also for projects of development agencies such as Icare Sustainably. In this way, we can turn a time of great stress into a time of great development as has happened before in history.

For example, the pandemic has triggered the need to be more innovative. It has made us realize the importance of being resourceful as well and to use what you have in a smart and sustainable way. Especially now that the regular economic activities are shut down. The pandemic has also made us realize the importance of health, time, family, unity and technology. Our eyes have been opened to how much harder the marginalized communities have to work to get proper treatment or to be heard.

In this chapter, we will go into four main areas where the pandemic has impacted TT with a focus on SDG4, quality education for all.

3.1 Education: How the pandemic has changed how we learn and teach

Around 24% of TT’s population is of school-going age, the majority of whom are enrolled in schools. One reason for this is that primary and secondary education is free and accessible. Consequently, in 2019 around 86.3% of children left school with basic proficiency in maths and reading. The number of children finishing secondary school with basic proficiencies is 51,3%. Unfortunately, around 20-30 % of the secondary school students drop out, out of which the majority are boys. Causes for drop-outs are:

• The attraction of gangs and crime
• Substance abuse
• Pregnancy
• Family troubles
• Lack of support in the family
• Financial problems

Dropping out of high-school makes it more difficult to find good employment. That is because 60% of available employment opportunities require secondary education or some other form of vocational training. It is important to note these are pre-COVID-19 figures. The reasons for drop-out will likely increase and the challenges of drop-outs will exacerbate during and after the pandemic.

 3.1.1 The challenge to adapt to socially-distant education

Before the pandemic, the TT government had policies in place to equip all secondary schools with the necessary equipment for modern education. One part of that policy was to give each secondary school 50 laptops to use within the school premises. It is easier to give schools devices, rather than every student. The program helped to provide quality education, even though the distribution of the laptops is not finished. Also, mainly urban schools received the devices. However, schools are closed now and the students cannot access the laptops.

The government launched an online School Learning Management System (SLMS) when schools had to switch to online learning. The goal of the platform was to provide quality education during and after the pandemic. However, the project was rushed which led to technical malfunction and crashes after its launch (10). There was more demand for the system as anticipated. Also, the program was hacked which reduced faith users have in the program. Especially because not all its intended users have enough confidence in their skills to use online learning tools (5).

However, the LMS program is a good solution for students who have access to devices and the internet. A student from TT indicated she prefers online schooling because it’s less noisy (InS1). However, there are also students who miss in-person learning and the structure it gives (InS3):

“I really enjoy and appreciate the classroom setting and the physical interaction it affords however due to the quarantine measures put in place, this has been halted and I have been forced to adapt (…)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the structure afforded by in-person classes has been stripped away along with the peer comradery it affords.”

It is clear that online learning is an important solution. However, the challenges are also significant (InS5):

“I had to take my courses at home throughout zoom and I can tell you that taking courses at home is not the best. Indeed, we can easily be distracted by everything surrounding us when we’re in our house. Our concentration is not at its best. Experiencing a new way of learning can be difficult sometimes.”

Lack of structure and focus is not the only challenge. Other difficulties are access to a device and a reliable internet connection for learners. In some cases, students share several devices or go to a neighbour to study (InS7, InS8). This is not ideal because it makes it difficult for students to focus on their work and to keep the social distance.

3.1.2 Other efforts done to continue education

The SLMS program does not help those who lack access to the internet and technology in TT’s rural regions. The Ministry of education estimates that around 60.000 students don’t have the resources to access online learning (5, 6).

A preschool teacher indicates that the only thing the government has done is hand out some tablets. She feels that preschool pupils are not a priority to the government. She is doing a lot of work with the students and parents herself to help them through these difficult times as is shown in this quote (InT2):

“ I’ve begun teaching them how to identify their emotions and how to deal with these big emotions.”

However, work on an emotional level is not the only thing required. The curriculum also needs to be adjusted towards digital learning from preschool age (InT2).

2.2 Innovation and technology: the need for digital transformation

The pandemic should encourage everyone to build a solid network infrastructure all over the world, with a focus on rural areas. Rural areas are often least connected and even struggle with phone networks in some areas. The pandemic has made it clear what the impact of lack of connectivity means for the people living there

2.3 Health and healthy living: material and psychological

Taking care of your health is important. Also, having a healthy attitude towards life can improve immune function according to the American Heart Association. Both a person’s mental and physical health is extremely important during the COVID-19 crisis. People with compromised immune systems face a high risk of becoming severely ill from coronavirus after all. 

Stress because of the pandemic also affects mental health. A survey was held on social media to map the major mental health impacts of the measurements (7).

• Frustrations from the inability to work
• Feeling like a mental prisoner
• Emotional roller coaster 
• Loneliness, depression and breakdown 
• An increase in domestic violence

Another risk according to a different study is a higher number of suicides. Dr Hazel Othello, the director of the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, said that COVID-19 has brought new trauma to people all over the world. There are several psycho-social factors bringing excess stress in people’s lives. Examples of that are children eating more at home, running down food reserves too quickly. Also, loss of jobs and salaries, and a general struggle to meet the basic needs (8). 

Are there also positive sides to spending more time with family?

2.3.1 Time to re-appreciate the family unit

Many families have discovered that the pandemic has given them an opportunity to spend more quality time together with the direct family in the home.

The experience of Tomislav Georgiev, a journalist and UNICEF photographer, is a poignant example. He had a permit to go out after curfew to photograph the deserted streets. However, he discovered that the most precious scenes were found at home. He started photographing scenes of his own home where four generations live together. This is what he had to say (9):

“I realized that no matter how much time we think we have; at the end of the day, what I came to appreciate was that we simply don’t spend enough quality time with our families.”

There is another way families spend more time together. Parents have to become students again to assist their school-going children (InP4):

“To adjust, I had to make myself a student again. Learning alongside them has become necessary.”

However, there are not only positive sides.

 2.3.2 Increased risks for vulnerable children

It has become clear that the children who are already vulnerable struggle most to adapt to the ‘new normal’. One example is children who already have a lack of support at home because those are unlikely to get the extra support they need. Consequently, this makes it less like for those children to access digital learning and other alternative education programs (5).

Other groups at risk are children with disabilities, children living in high-risk communities and those with a history of abuse. During Covid-19 they are less likely to access mechanisms put in place to protect them. Also, the extra stress put on parents increases the likeliness of more abuse (5).

This is a serious challenge. Not only because of the pandemic but also because of the historical lack of child protection in TT. There is a culture of silence concerning child abuse shown in the figures of the policy: between 2016 and 2018 they received zero reports.

It is feared that cases of child abuse, and especially cases of sexual abuse of children will increase. Partly by the lack of supervision and partly by the culture of silence around the abuse. Since children are not in school, there is a complete absence of supervision of their well-being besides their close family members.
Also, there is no place the children can go to relax and get help, because of the lock-down.

A rise in child abuse hampers children to develop their confidence and sense of self which will bring challenges in their future. Challenges in both their personal life and in their academic career. This teacher says why (InT2):

“Every good teacher knows that a child who feels safe in their environment (be it home or school) is a child that can learn. A child with problems at home does not have the ability to be fully engaged at school.”

2.4 Economic impact: Vulnerability of small island-states

2.4.1. Consequences of lack of economic diversification

Covid-19 has drastically changed the global economy. For the TT the impact is felt in the following markets:

1. A lowering of global energy demand because of the extended lockdown. Oil and gas is around 80% of TT’s GDP. Also, around 40% of the jobs in TT are associated with this industry (5).
2. Higher shocks to the economy of small island states and higher loans or investments needed to rejuvenate the economy (5). This will lead to dependency on wealthier states for loans or a longer time to recover from the pandemic.
3. Dependency on loans to rejuvenate the economy can lead to a high debt to GDP ratio which can lay the foundation for a future crisis (5).

These effects are on the economy as a whole. There are also consequently which are felt in the day-to-day lives of the people. TT position as a small-island state makes it vulnerable to food shortages, consequences of climate change and nutrition deficiency without a properly running economy (11). Also, the TT depends on import for food supply and other resources. The people and government will rely heavily on outside aid because there are few ready alternative economic opportunities available to adapt to the ‘new normal’.

Lastly, the inhabitants of TT depend for a big part on tourism for income. Alternative ways of income have to be found, which are limited because the island is small.

3. Conclusion:
recommendations to mitigate inequality during the pandemic

The precise effects of COVID-19 on development are not clear yet. However, it is clear that the effects of the pandemic on development will be felt for a long time. Therefore, it is important to be proactive and assess what we can do now, to prevent the worst negative outcomes of the virus. There are two main questions to solve to mitigate inequality in education:

1. How can we improve and ensure access to education while following COVID-19 measures?
2. How can we equip the educators, parents and students to continue education.

One student summarized her wishes well (InS7):

“I hope that the government understands the problems of civilians during these times. I also hope that they put into place measures that will help us without impacting negatively our everyday lives. I know it is not that easy and it is a lot to ask but I just want them to try to do so.”

Based on the interviews done and all the points discussed in this article we have three recommendations for the TT. The recommendations are also valuable for other settings.

2. Promote mental health

Education should not only be aimed at the school curriculum, as this neglects the psychological need of the population to find a way to deal with the pandemic.

We propose to run mental health programs on the national media or through online learning platforms to give people methods to handle their emotions.

This can also protect children in vulnerable settings to cope or find a place to reach out to when they need help.

3. Create alternative income sources

The main economy of TT is focused on areas which are not doing well (e.g. fossil fuel and tourism). This has an impact on the day-to-day life of the people, because of unemployment or a decrease in salary.

We propose to research alternative income streams for people. The government and NGO’s can start programs for people to adjust to those income streams. Ideally, this will be combined with TT’s reliance on import for foodstuff and other necessities. Potentially the two challenges can be solved together.

Closing remarks: The SDGs as the foundation to find a way forward in uncertainty

It has become clear that corona is not going away any time soon. Countries are held hostage by the pandemic, and we are treading in murky and uncharted waters and a wave of uncertainty is engulfing the globe. Our aim is to give some solid foundations to base future policies on by connecting the SDGs with the impact of Covid-19 on all aspects of life. 

Icare Sustainably believes that it is important to continue fighting to realize the SDGs, especially in these uncertain times. This article series focused on education. Future research will focus on the other SDGs as well.

Join the discussion and leave a comment below. You can also contact us for further discussions, projects or research.

This article is written by Carolyne Nyarangi, Rianne Doller, Greta Pons and Shayek Ahmed  on behalf of Icare Sustainably. A non-profit organization focusing on reaching a sustainable future through quality education. Our mission is modelled on the SDG goals.

Download the PDF of the article here.

Introduction

The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) is a commitment made by all UN nation-states to create a sustainable future for all. To structure that goal, 17 SDGs were set together with a deadline to reach those goals by 2030. For many of the goals, a lot of progress has been made (1). However, Coronavirus (COVID-19) threatens the progress of the goals substantially.

The pandemic, which started in China in December 2019 and started to have a global impact from early 2020 onwards, had a sheer impact on a lot of development projects. An example of that is the re-allocation of funds to fight the pandemic. Moreover,  measures to contain the spread of COVID-19  has made the majority of ongoing development projects either difficult to complete or initiated the urge of making substantial changes to sustain

In spite of the pandemic, though, we cannot neglect the importance of pursuing the SDGs. The pandemic has a negative impact on development with risks of increasing poverty, hunger, gender inequality and lack of access to quality education for marginalized communities. Immediate efforts are done to prevent hunger and people getting sick, which focuses on short-term consequences of the pandemic. However, there are also significant long-term effects of the pandemic. For example, without any interference, there will be increased inequality, poverty and violence against girls (2). Continuing access to quality education for everyone is one way to prevent those outcomes. 

The precise effects of COVID-19 on development are not clear yet. However, it is important to have a proactive stand and assess what we can do now, to prevent the worst negative outcomes of the virus. Moreover, we are dealing with an obscure object as there is no concrete vaccine yet. So the main question is the following: How can we adjust education-based development projects so that they comply with COVID-19 measures to keep fighting for a sustainable future?

This article focuses on education development projects with a focus on SDG 4 and 10. The proposed solutions focus both on increasing quality of life during the pandemic, and after. We will use case-studies from our work to get to the root cause to clarify our arguments from Kenya and Switzerland. We have chosen those case-studies because they show different perspectives: from a developing country and a developed country.

In this article we discuss the following points:

HOW COVID-19 AFFECTED THE TRAJECTORY OF REACHING SDG-4 in Kenya

2019 saw an increase in calls for action by various groups of individuals and organizations to work on all the SDG goals. One part of that was campaigns staged across the globe to pressure governments to take action. Icare Sustainably was involved in one of those campaigns through our Vice president Carolyne Nyarangi. A meeting was set on the 12th of February 2020 in Nairobi. Icare Sustainably and other social impact leaders and educators came together to discuss a way forward to reach the goals, The meeting was hosted by Stephanie Mason, the Global Partnerships Manager of The Worlds Largest Lesson together with Alison Belwood, director of World’s Largest Lesson (3). The meeting aimed to deliberate how to create awareness among Kenyan children and other groups about the SDGs. A second aim was to mobilize the Kenyan SDGs Educators to lead in this awareness campaign.

It was clear from the meeting that this project was going to be a game-changer. Lots of amazing ideas and strategies were put on the table by the leaders of the various social impact organizations. This gave a clear plan on how to ensure that we bring every Kenyan onboard to achieve the global goals. Soon after the meeting, the Worlds Largest Lesson launched a new project: ‘Explorers for the Global Goals’ (4).

The project focuses on teaching young children from ages 4 to 8 on key skills which are essential to creating a sustainable future. Those skills are empathy, curiosity, problem-solving, creativity and effective communication. Icare Sustainably International participated as field testers of the materials of this project. We had planned another big field trip to schools to test the materials for the new project. Unfortunately in early 2020, the globe was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted the momentum. Strict measures were put in place to prevent spread, and we have only been able to test in two settings. The trip to schools had to be cancelled to ensure safety for the learners and our team members. 

Additionally, since March 12, 2020, all schools in Kenyan are closed, and they won’t reopen till at least January 2021 at the earliest. We also had a series of training sessions lined up and had already launched the first SDG club in SOS schools Eldoret. This club has been a training ground for children from the age of 8 to 15 to familiarize them with the SDGs. The club had already guided them to start their own SDG projects. An example of that is planting trees in the Kenya Hill school.

We tried running the programs for the children online, but we immediately faced the challenge of how to reach the students. Not out of a lack of enthusiasm on their side, but out of a lack of means. Most of the students don’t have a gadget or internet connection to enjoy online learning. Also, it has been a challenge to find an online learning program suitable for the unique circumstances of a developing country. Things such as unreliable internet and power supply, gadgets with outdated software, limited experience to work with the tools and no purchasing power leaves few options. We had a test with Buncee, for example, and the app didn’t work on most of the phones. Because of all these challenges, the projects had to be discontinued for now until a solution is found.

Sadly, this illustrates the challenges and struggles working on development projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many organizations have had similar experiences to us and had to cease their projects as well.

Why are educational development projects still important during a global pandemic?

Why is it important to keep development projects going? It is easy to state that there are more important things to focus on during a global pandemic. To a certain extent that is true. However, focusing on the SDGs is more important than ever during the pandemic. The pandemic threatens to have a long-term impact on the quality of life of many people. Also, there is a loss of household income, increase violence against women and a rise in mental health disorders (5).

The worst-hit people will be those who are already marginalized. That is because they don’t have any backup to deal with side-effects created by COVID-19. It is not sure yet, but we can say that it is likely that communities that were struggling before the pandemic, are likely to be the most impacted during and after the pandemic as well. Also, projects aimed to help marginalized communities have decreased during the pandemic. Since most pandemic projects aim at food aid and other necessities. This means that that inequality is likely to grow.

The SDG projects are aimed at solving inequality and to make sure that everyone has the chance for a good life. Some projects are aimed at poverty, health and hunger, others at preventing gender violence, and there are those focused on solving inequality in the world. If anything, the pandemic has shown us how much inequality there still is in the world. Pursuing the SDGs can, and should, include mitigating effects of COVID-19 for those marginalized people in need.

Though there may be some cited positive effects of the novel Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the lockdown enabled families to spend more time together. Also, nature was appreciative of the drastic reduction of the levels of pollution on the beaches and oceans. Lastly, the pandemic can trigger a much-needed digital transformation to include marginalized communities in the mainstream economy (6). Still, the negative effects will outweigh the positive ones by far. 

The SDGs give us a clear map of how to fight the negative consequences of COVID-19 while making sure that other important goals are not neglected. Or as said by Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed (7).

“Lives and livelihoods everywhere depend on the UN’s ability to support Governments in tackling this “unprecedented health, humanitarian and socio-economic crisis.”

Amina Mohammed cited the SDGs as a clear compass that gives us the direction to leave no one behind.

In the next chapter, we focus on 3 main impacts of Coronavirus on the SDGs trajectory. This with examples from our work in Kenya and an example from Switzerland.

Three areas of education most affected during the pandemic

1. Quality education for everyone

One of the worst-hit goals was goal 4, equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The goal was to ensure an inclusive and a bright future for coming generations. This with the belief that access to quality education will lower the level of poverty, especially in the marginalized areas. Education leads to the creation of jobs and better opportunities in life.

Unfortunately, more than half of the students in Kenya are receiving little or no education at all during the pandemic (8). Probably, the situation is not different in other developing areas. Also, parents worry that by the time schools open up again too much time has passed for their children to continue their schooling. Sources indicate as well that the longer children stay out of school, the more likely it becomes that children from poor backgrounds never come back (9). This means that for many children Covid-19 can mean the end of their educational career.

Even more so because the Kenyan government has decided that all the children will repeat their classes come 2021. Will students feel motivated to repeat a year after a year of having no schooling and structure at all? Especially because most parents lack the means or know-how to homeschool their children. This is worse among children from poor backgrounds. Especially because the government has no intention to refund school funds paid for this year.

Parents have been wondering and asking if it’s possible to allow the students to sit for their exams this year if they comply with WHO guidelines. However, it is uncertain whether schools will have the capacity to handle this. What does this mean when the current school-going generation grows up with a lower level of education compared to other generations? We should keep an eye on the development effects of this because it affects poverty, hunger and potentially hampers development.

2. Economic impact

The IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) projection on the global economic contraction is at 3% in 2020. These numbers are much worse than the 2008-09 financial crisis. Additionally, the economic growth by 2021 is projected to be at 5.8%, which is relatively low and shows the huge economic impact of COVID-19 on the world.

Economic decline will hit people already struggling to make a living most. Business is at an all-time low and also many people are not sure of their wages any more. In a country as Kenya, where a majority of the population depends on small businesses and day-to-day small jobs through the informal economy to make a living, the economic consequences are deadly and devastating (10). Not only during Corona but also long after the virus fades from the concerns of public health. Businesses have been reduced to such an extent that people struggle to pay necessities such as rent, food and healthcare. When the schools open again it is unlikely all those people will be able to pay school fees and other necessities.

Also, many businesses closed, the small savings people managed to have evaporated and families are struggling to survive. In Kenya there is food assistance in some areas, but is it enough? And what will people do when the pandemic, and consequently the support, is discontinued? What will the people do who lost their means of livelihood?

The consequences of this are not visible yet. However, we can predict and prepare for this outcome. To prevent continuing struggles, awareness of the economic impacts of COVID-19 gives an opportunity to create plans to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, which will prevent personal and societal struggles. Examples of economic mitigation factors for COVID-19 are food aid, tax relief for businesses and waiving school fees in the new year. Also, post-COVID-19 funds can be handed out for people to start new businesses.

Considering education in Kenya, it is a serious question whether children can go back to school once they reopen, and not only because of school fees. Many students depend on private schools for quality education. However, according to the Kenya Private Schools Association, about 109 private schools have already permanently closed because of financial problems. And the pandemic is not yet over. The consequence of this is that already around 40.000 learners have to find a new school and close to 1500 teachers and 1100 support workers need to find another job. This will also bring extra pressure to the remaining schools.

3. Psychosocial impact

The heightened uncertainty caused by the pandemic has generated much fear due to the infectivity and fatality rate of Covid-19. The coronavirus pandemic has created epidemic hysteria and concomitant financial losses and economic burdens to Kenya. Fear is heightened because the COVID-19 is new, and there is no proven vaccine, no pharmaceutical treatment nor an end in sight when it will end. The global lockdown has caused severe panic anxiety and depression, which has fuelled a wave of domestic violence, teenage pregnancies, mental disorders and suicides in Kenya. Also, now the children are at home under stressful circumstances they are more vulnerable to abuse (2, 9). 

Also, what will be the psychological effect of the lockdown on children once they go back to school? Will they be able to focus on the lessons after a year of being idle with little supervision or support? A lot of parents are too engaged with day to day uncertainties to give their children guidance and structure during COVID-19. So most children fend for themselves with the limited means available. Again, this is worse within marginalized communities. Besides that, the struggles and uncertainties of COVID-19 add to the ‘normal’ struggles those communities already face related to poverty.

The last group to focus on are those students who recently finished their education. Some of them had jobs lined up, or at least reasonable expectations of employment. Now, the economy has tanked and in Kenya, all government projects are shut down. The former students are forced to sit at home idle, disappointed. If the pandemic will continue for a long time, drop-outs due to demotivation from the break will be added to these young groups sitting idle at home. 

Case studies:

Education Projects during Coronavirus pandemic

In the next section, we will show these three impacts with the two case-studies. The case-studies are both projects aimed to provide education during the pandemic. They have mixed levels of success. In that way, the case-studies will give guidance on the way forward.

CASE STUDY KENYA WITH THE NYUMBA KUMI

After closing the schools in Kenya, at first, distance learning was pursued through radio and television programs. However, it became clear soon after that the radio and TV are not having the expected impact. That is because a good number of kids from rural communities have no access to the content. Therefore, a new project was proposed by the Kenyan Ministry of Education together with the Teachers Service Commission and the Cabinet Secretary for Education. It was to be a community learning program based on the Nyumba Kumi initiative.

Nyumba Kumi originated as a community policing program. Every 10 households are allocated an elder who reports to the chief and oversees and ensures safety and sustainability in the neighbourhoods. This program was launched in 2013 by the president of Kenya.

The Nyumba Kumi community-based learning initiative aims to connect the Nyumba Kumi elders with teachers and chiefs to offer free learning on a 10-households level. This teacher will assist with learning while the schools are closed. 10 households are limited enough to comply with coronavirus regulations and keep the risk of spread to a minimum. In that way, this program may be the solution to the inequality brought about by the pandemic.

The success of this project would mitigate the negative impact on access to quality education. Also, it can bring psychological relief because the children have something to occupy themselves with and feel supported during these tough times. 

However, implementation is a big challenge. For one, there has to be a way to ensure the teachers continuing dedication to the project. For this, financial compensation is needed, both for resources needed and to assist the teachers in their work. Also, the Kenyan government aims to roll out the initiative on a nation-wide scale. This requires huge planning and one can wonder if it’s not easier to roll it out on a smaller local scale. Also, serious monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the education, and financial management, is vital for the success of this plan.

For now, the project has not started yet. It is yet to be determined how successful Nyumba Kumi will be, however, Kenyans are doubtful whether it will take off.

Case study Switzerland: How is quality education affected in a developed country?

An example of how local schools handled a frightening new situation where it needed support from all the stakeholders.

In Switzerland, parents had to adapt to working from home 100% of the time. While working at home, they also had to take on 24/7 child care and homeschooling. The teachers needed to create new material and an agenda for the students to follow from home to not compromise the curriculum. This meant that students had to develop new skills and a new learning system and find alternatives to socializing with other fellows. All this while parents and children had limited time to support each other.

A solution was proposed by the local schools. Each teacher will drop off homework each Monday morning at the students’ houses (alternatively parents were collecting by appointment at the school). Then each Friday the materials were returned to the teachers for review. The situation was a big challenge for everyone. But with everyone’s collaboration, it was successful.

This project’s main aim was to ensure that COVID-19 restrictions would not interfere with education. In that way, the project has been successful. Also, the project had some positive psychological impacts as parents felt less pressure to provide homeschooling materials while also working.

When Corona cases started to decrease in Switzerland, schools were reopened with the new school year in 2020/2021. The government imposed some adjustments, keep social distance, regular handwashing, no sharing of school materials or food, only play with kids from your year and stay home with any signs of sickness. In a few weeks, it will become clear if these measures were sufficient to start normal life without increased infection rates.

Takeaways from case studies

Success of the measures taken during the pandemic depend on either strict government control or strict adherence to regulations by the population themselves.

However, it is not clear yet what is the right way forward, because this situation is completely unprecedented. 

It is clear, however, that the contribution of volunteers and workers need to be recognized because of the risks of getting sick they endure. 

It is therefore shown in the case-studies that proper planning and care is needed. This to make sure that the health of the students, the workers, and the marginalized communities themselves is guaranteed before schools resume.

CONCLUSION:

What can be done to mitigate the education gap created during COVID-19? 

How can we support sustainable development without compromising the health of the population?

This is the question every social impact organization has been asking. Most of these organizations have adapted to the situation in different ways. The two case studies have shown that these adjustments come with difficulties. We do know, however, that any success will come from critically analysing the ‘new normal’ and by knowing where the impact will be felt most. This article has contributed to that awareness.

Also, any solution will require a multi-sectoral approach and global partnerships to make sure resources are allocated fairly and information about what works is shared. We want to end this article with some suggestions for projects and approaches that might be of help.

2. Project: Distribution of physical lesson material to learners in local language.

In addition to digital transformation, the education gap can be closed with physical learning materials. This should be combined with food donations that are already happening to limit contact and resource use. To make this a success, teachers can join the food drives to explain the learning materials.

Most learning materials which can be found online are not in the local language. However, many parents and students are most comfortable with their own language. Translations make the materials more accessible for students and their caretakers alike so the students can receive guidance.

3. Monetary Support

Communities need monetary support, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as both cater to different needs.

Monetary support during Corona is to assist households which have lost their incomes. This is so they can buy food and pay rent and other necessities. This support comes in 2 shapes: unconditional funds and money for wages. 

Mostly, unconditional funds are given to low-income households which lost their income in urban slums (10, 12). The ‘Money for Wages’ strategy is used for educated people or youth. For example, youth work in government projects for a wage called the Kazi Mtaani Programme in Kenya 13 However, there is controversy about payments of the program and strong competition to get in the program14. This shows a need for more of these projects which are run with strict financial control. 

Post-Corona monetary support should be done by waiving school fees, or by assisting families to pay school expenses or school fees. This will ensure more children go back to school. Also, supporting private schools with a good reputation to re-open. This to ensure quality education is available once the schools reopen.

Closing remarks

For the world to overcome COVID-19 and all its consequences, it has to be clear to everyone that Corona has not only an impact on global health.

As a global community, we also need to focus on other outcomes with long-term consequences, such as economic, education and psychological impact. Those impacts will be limited with strong multilateral cooperation and projects to curb the effects of the pandemic. This article is the first step of Icare Sustainably’s contribution to create awareness of those consequences and to work towards solutions.

-This article is written by Icare Sustainably. A non-profit organization focusing on reaching a sustainable future through education. Our mission is modelled on the SDG goals.