By Owen Zayambika, MANA
Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) has warned that the indefinite closure of learning institutions in the country as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Coronavirus might derange learners if not construed rightly.
CSEC Executive Director, Benedicto Kondowe has since advised parents and guardians to take a leading role to encourage their children to concentrate on their studies at home while waiting for the schools to reopen.
He said the role of parents and guardians is crucial in making sure that while the learning institutions are closed, the learners still concentrate on their studies until the situation normalizes.
“Parents have a role to teach their children in their homes, learning does not only take place at school, but they also need to practice what they are taught at school when they are home,” he said.
Kondowe further said if learners are not guided during this time, there is fear that their performance might be affected when schools reopen. His emphasis was on learners expected to sit for crucial examinations.
“This means that all scheduled exams have been postponed. It does not mean they will not be administered,” he said.
He, therefore, advised all candidates expected to sit for the various examinations in the country to be on alert and maintain their readiness for the examinations.
Commenting on the development, Clinical Psychologist Chiwoza Bandawe says it is important for learners to understand the situation at hand and to maintain a studious mood.
“It is important for the students to be aware of the situation so that they maintain a mood of schooling, studying while keeping in touch with what is happening, that is very important,” he explained.
He said it might be disheartening as some will be worried about their future in this situation but, he said, it is a challenge like any other, they must accept it.
He said the potential negative reaction to the learners could be depression, anxiety and other mental complexities.
Bandawe said in such scenarios the more the students worry, the more anxious they will become and are more likely to compromise their mental health.
“It is very important to take this challenge positively and concentrate,” he said.
On March 20 President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika declared state of disaster and called for immediate closure of schools across the country, as a preventative measure to the spread of COVID-19.
