An assessment of the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on child safeguarding issues in Zimbabwe’s urban and peri-urban districts
- December 24, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: COVID-19, IJRISS, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue XII, December 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Pascal Masocha
Africa University, Zimbabwe
Abstract:
Background
The onset of Covid 19 has led to the full-scale closure of schools in Zimbabwe. Children are stuck at home and experiencing numerous child safeguarding problems. This study sought to trace some of these problems and make recommendations on best the children’s welfare can be improved during these trying times
Methods
The study used a mixed methods approach comprising a survey to collect quantitative data as well as a review of existing literature. A purposive sampling technique was used given the novelty of the problem
Results
The results showed that indeed children are experiencing many problems in the home and there is need for a change in approach to child safeguarding issues in the homes in Zimbabwe
Conclusions
There is need to improve the way children are handled in the homes in Zimbabwe to reduce the child abuse cases rampant in the homes during this lock down
I. INTRODUCTION
In 2020, over 250 million students in sub-Saharan Africa were impacted by school closures – that’s in addition to the 100 million school-age children who were out of school before the pandemic .These children have been out of school for the greater part of 2020, and 2021, especially in Africa where the pandemic is hitting hard on communities that were already poverty-stricken. The intermittent breaks in the current lock downs have done little to restore the continuity of the education system in most parts of Africa and attempts to introduce digital learning platforms have been hampered by lack of electricity in most parts of the continent, lack of gadgets for both learners and teachers as well as lack of experience to drive the process. The ‘digital divide’ between rural and urban schools has created a gap between the learners which is threatening to leave the rural pupils behind the education process.
