With no learning, girls at risk to get pregnant - report

The Ministry of Education is worried of a possible rise in cases of teenage pregnancies, early marriages, child labour and school dropouts sparked by prolonged closure of schools.

There is also a high risk of job losses among non-teaching and contract staff.

The ministry fears there will be probable discrimination and stigmatisation of learners, who may be infected by the coronavirus or affected by the pandemic.

A proposed ministry emergency response plan says confinement of children at home due to school closures poses long-term consequences, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalised children who already experience barriers accessing education.

The draft Kenya Basic Education Sector Covid-19 Emergency response plan dated April 19, says if the schools closure is prolonged, adolescent girls are twice likely to be out of school. This group of learners face greater barriers to education and vulnerabilities such as domestic or gender-based violence when not in school.

The ministry argues that it will be a challenge to ensure students return and continue with their education when schools reopen due to early marriages, teenage pregnancies, child labour, drug and substance abuse due to frustration.

“Schooling provides essential learning environment and when schools close, children and youth are deprived opportunities for growth and development,” reads the report.

It says the disadvantages are severe for under-privileged learners, who have fewer educational opportunities beyond formal school.

Prolonged closure

“Children from minority groups and marginalised populations are neglected and will have lower educational outcomes than their peers.”

Schools serve as hubs of social activity and human interaction yet prolonged closure deprives many children and youth the social contact that is essential to learning and development.

“Schools and learning centres are used by communities to address health related issues, including mental health and psychosocial support, which the most vulnerable students rely on for their well being and development in order to learn,” says the report.

The ministry says households that will register Covid-19 cases may find themselves segregated and shunned by other members of the society.

“This could lead to serious breakdown in the social fabric, which may have detrimental effects on school-going children,” the report adds.

This would be even harsh in hard to serve areas, internally displaces persons camps and informal settlements where correct information on Covid-19 may not easily permeate. On home schooling, the report says that parents are unprepared for distance and home learning.

“When schools close parents are often asked to facilitate the learning of children at home and can struggle to perform this task. This is especially true for parents with limited education and resources,” says the report.

It further cites the hurdle of unequal access to digital learning portals by parents and learners.

“Lack of access to internet is an obstacle to continued learning, especially for students from disadvantaged families, hence creating inequalities in access to education.”