Covid -19 rolled back academics

March 16, 2021

With the Covid 19 pandemic disproportionately affecting certain sectors of society, adolescents and young people(AYPs) have been grossly worn down, cutting them from attending schools and having contact with their peers, the chaos at universities and exams debacle combined with the impact of losses in livelihoods at household level together with the resultant mental trauma and a plethora of other  uncertainties lying ahead. It is undoubtedly true that academics have been severely rolled backwards because of the prolonged stay out of school, which also came with adverse repercussions such as teenage pregnancies, early marriages and reluctance to go back to school. Albeit the transition from classroom to online learning being implemented as a stop gap measure, for the AYPs from low income earning families this move was a huge blow that actually widened the poverty gap as now the digital divide became glaring. The pandemic is inflicting multiple shocks on AYPs which have the potential of derailing SDGs gains achieved over the years. Uncertainty over career prospects have also emerged as the job market is rapidly shrinking severely owing to the Covid 19 induced recession. There is a widespread anxiety with the youth about their future which seems to be bleak both in school and when out of school. This situation then spurs the need to comprehensively program for disaster times and have a multi sectorial approach that also touches on crucial facets of life such as education and also includes key populations such as the youths who in most cases are left out of developmental endeavors

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