THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY STUDIES

NAMES COMPUTOR NUMBER

LIATO NAOMI : 2017001699

MPASAILE THERESAH : 2017003651

MPULIKA MAJORY : 2017003249

MWALE RAHAB : 2017006113

NACHELA JEAN : 2017000796

COURSE :

COURSE COORDINATOR/LECTURER :

TASK : LONG PAPER

DUE DATE : 31ST, OCTOBER, 2021.

QUESTION: Impact of covid-19 at all levels of education in Zambia

Emerging first in Wuhan, China, followed by its spread to other parts of the world, COVID-19
is an ongoing pandemic that has swept million lives worldwide. It has a profound effect on
social, political, economic and religious life. In simple terms, the pandemic has an impact in
all aspect of life. The pandemic has tested the resilience of the Zambia, social, political,
religious and economic sector and is exacerbating the development challenges confronting it.
Since the onset of the pandemic, a plethora of studies have been carried out to examine the
impact of the crisis on education system. Indeed, all levels of education have been affected by
the pandemic. The COVID-19 world health crisis has profound implications for the care and
education of young children in homes and schools, the lives of pre-service and in-service
teachers, and the work of college or university faculty. Zambia’s education sectors is diverse
and so too are their challenges. Tertiary education has different challenges to school education,
as do private to public, and urban to rural provision. While the issues may differ between
countries, there is one important commonality: the scale of the issues is different at different
education levels. Only a small minority of about 20% attend university. Only a minority of
students finishes secondary school of about 40%. It is at the primary level where there is the
closest to universal provision of about 80%. The survey respondents believe that it is the
primary level which is least able to cope with the disruption of schooling. Primary children, in
general, have little experience of study outside the classroom, they are unlikely to have
adequate provision for learning at home or access to internet-enabled devices, and many
parents will not have the ability to provide sufficient support to their learning. So, those most
in need of support are the least likely to be able to access it. And if a child drops out of
primary school, they are unlikely to return to full-time education. This essay begins by
discussing the implications of a world health pandemic for education at child level followed
by primary, secondary and lastly college or university. Thereafter, a summary will be drawn.
Background of COVID-19
The novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan city, Hubei province of
China, with 27 cases of pneumonia of unknown cause identified on 31st December 2019. The
causative agent of this infection was later named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This led to the naming of the disease as COVID-19 (World
Health Organization, 2021). The main clinical presentations of patients suffering from
COVID-19 at that time included dry cough, sore throat, chest pain, dyspnoea, headache, fever,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bilateral lung infiltration on imaging, and abnormal radiological
findings. Current findings have reported clinical features such as myalgias, fatigue, abdominal

1
pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by
the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March 2020 due, in part, to its rapid spread
across the globe and relatively high mortality rate among specific populations. As a result,
many countries instituted lock downs to prevent further spreading of COVID-19 (Francisco,
2021).
There is strong evidence suggesting that COVID-19 has had adverse effects on the mental
wellbeing of individuals worldwide. Some of the mental health problems observed were
illness anxiety disorder (IAD or formerly hypochondriasis), helplessness and horror, and the
fear of COVID-19 associated stigmatization. Besides, some populations have reportedly
experienced psychological impacts including but not limited to; depression, anxiety, stress,
and mood swings due to the pandemic (Murphy, 2020). Zambia recorded its first two cases of
Covid-19 on 18th March 2020. The first 28 cases in Zambia all had a history of travel to
Europe or Asia. Three weeks into the outbreak, cases were noted among people without
history of travel but in contact with confirmed cases. There has since been an increase in local
person transmission with increasing geographic spread (World Health Organization, 2021).
When the disease emerged, there was lockdown in many countries to avoid the rapid spread of
disease since it is an air bone disease. This caused high level of unemployment. This implies
that the Covid-19 crisis is a systemic human development crisis, compounding risks to
progress towards many issues including gender equality. The pandemic and its consequences
hit a world wealthier than ever but facing deep divides in human development. Some of the
consequences of Covid-19 have had a greater impact on some countries and groups within
countries, as preexisting horizontal inequalities can magnify the effects of the crisis (Oasakwe,
2021)
Further, COVID-19 reduced the social interaction among human beings contact. There is
demographic impact and a huge number of people have died. This has reduced the population
of the world and hence social life has been affected. Some families have lost their loved ones.
The production of food security has also reduced to an extent where many people are living in
high poverty. The food production has reduced dramatically due to financial crisis the world is
facing. It further affects everyone, women and girls face specific and often disproportionate
health and social risks due to deeply entrenched inequalities, social norms, and unequal power
relations. The human capital for both men and women has reduced and this has an impact on
gender. The disease has increased gender disparities between men and women. Gender
violence is common as many men and women are not working (Murphy, 2020).

2
The economic sector has also severely been affected. In simpler terms, economy and financial
has significant been reduced making rise in unemployment, and disruptions in the
transportation, service, and manufacturing industries are among the consequences of the
disease mitigation measures that have been implemented in many countries. It has become
clear that most governments in the world underestimated the risks of rapid Covid-19 spread
and were mostly reactive in their crisis response. The world economic has been badly affected
(Oasakwe, 2021).

The impact of covid-19 at Pre-school (Early Childhood Education)

Education plays a particularly significant role in children and adolescents’ health and well-
being and has a lasting impact on their lives as adults. The COVID-19 world health crisis has
profound implications for the care and education of young children in homes and schools.
Literature has reviewed that when COVID-19 let to closure of schools. All in-person class
gatherings at all levels of education ceased. Early childhood programs were in suspended
animation and parent with children in public schools were suddenly expected to home school.
With COVID-19, school children had their education put on hold between the late March
through April of 2020 (Renck, 2021).
It is imperative to mention that when COVID-19 emerged, all levels of education was affected
and the impact is still felt today. In Early Childhood Education, the pandemic reduced
opportunities for social interaction among children. Since education at pre-school demands
social interactions, children no longer had the freedom of interaction and play. It is also vital
to mention that COVID-19 is a threats to the health and safety of children as they still have
little knowledge of the pandemic. Hence, learning has been disruptions and families have
limited access to social services and other forms of support for the child. There is drastic
reductions in face-to-face teaching and instructional time (Dayal, 2020).
The impact of COVID-19 on Early Child Education (ECE) is that the pandemic has brought
about massive disruptive changes and is a threat across multiple sectors that are essential to
children’s optimal development. The responses to contain its spread have hampered access to
program and services that promote nurturing care for children. It is important to understand
that the period of a child’s life between conception and the start of school represents a critical
and singular window of opportunity to shape the development of a child’s brain ((Renck,
2021). At this crucial time, brain connections form at an immense speed, giving shape and
depth to children’s cognitive, emotional and social development influencing their capacity to

3
learn, to solve problems and to relate to others. This ultimately has a significant impact on
their adult lives, affecting their ability to earn a living and contribute to their societies (OMEP
Executive Committee OMEP Position Paper, 2020). However, COVID-19 has threatens this
precious opportunity for children in early childhood to develop healthy brains and lives. To
reach their full potential, children need the five interrelated and indivisible components of
nurturing care: good health, adequate nutrition, security and safety, responsive caregiving and
opportunities for learning (Dayal, 2020). The pandemic responses have disrupted health
services and jeopardized families’ access to life-saving health and nutrition services. The
restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus have led to the closure of preschools and
childcare centres, thus upsetting opportunities for early learning. The economic fallout of the
pandemic has exacerbated unemployment and poverty, resulting in stress among parents and
caregivers, increased needs for parenting and family support and fewer resources available to
protect and support children’s development (Jacob and Elizabeth, 2021)
Some scholars like Jacob and Elizabeth (2021) observed that Services supporting the
development of young children are likely suffering more than other education levels. In
particular, the increase in enrolment in early childhood development services over recent years
may be reversed because many community-based childcare programs have been forced to
close due to the public health measures and financial constraints. The pandemic thus is
threatening to disrupt the early childhood development workforce with lasting effect because
staff without salaries might leave the profession entirely.
Moreover, COVID-19 has negatively affected the goals of the child education. The disruptions
caused by the pandemic responses now put at risk achievement of target of the Sustainable
Development Goal on early childhood development: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys
have access to quality early childhood development, care and pee-primary education so that
they are ready for primary education. Even before the pandemic, Zambia was off track with
target and needed to accelerate progress to achieve it. However, the pandemic has worsened
the situation to an extent were it is difficult to achieve the goal (Dayal, 2020).
Covid-19 has greatly impact the demand, supply and the process of the curriculum. The fact
that, most of the children who are at kindergarten are below 7 years and these learners are not
familiar with online, there is a big challenge. The pandemic has given pressure to curriculum
designers who need to change the way curriculum should be designed. Since children are no
longer spending the whole day in school, time framework of the curriculum should be changed
(OMEP Executive Committee OMEP Position Paper, 2020). Early childhood education (ECE)

4
centers are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis. The future remains
murky for many Zambians as early childhood centers because of enrollment decreases due to
families’ health- and finance-related concerns and to reduced ratio requirements, expensive
new sanitation procedures, and challenges in training children to follow health practices
recommended to prevent the spread of the virus, and relatively limited government help
(Renck, 2021).
Likewise, COVID-19 has reduced the human capital which has an impact on education
system. This is because teachers who contacted the pandemic died and as such the quality of
education has decrease. This has affected the education system. This is also applied to the
children and some died of the pandemic and this has reduced the number of children in school.
As such, the education system has been affected. Also, the coming of online lesson does not
suit children at early age as they do not know technology. Hence, learning has been hampered
by the disease and this has result in the low quality education (Jacob and Elizabeth, 2021).

Impact of COVID-19 on education system at primary and secondary level.

COVID-19 has not only affected the pupils at Early Childhood Education bot also at primary
and secondary. School closures due to COVID-19 have brought significant disruptions to
primary and secondary education in Zambia. Emerging evidence from some of the provinces
in Zambia indicate that the pandemic is giving rise to learning losses and increases in
inequality among boys and girls. The rate at which COVID-19 has rapidly been spreading has
made every sector of human life to immediately feel its impact. COVID-19 caused an
indefinite closure of learning institutions in Zambia without any hope of re-opening them soon
for progressive education information dissemination especially for the examination candidates
who were scheduled to sit for final examinations in 3 months and 6 months’ time respectively
(United Nations, 2020).
First of all, it is imperative to mention that for any country to attain quality education and to
produce educated literate, there is need to increase human capital. The increase in human
capital helps to provide effective learning and competitive quality education. Quality
education is one of the fundamental factors that the Ministry of Education aim to achieve
(MoE). Since MoE in (1996) presents the aim of education in Zambia as being the
development of a full and well-rounded individual, for personal fulfillment and good of
society, is the necessary ingredient in providing quality education so as to produce learners
according the desire of the Ministry of education. Some scholars postulated that the most

5
important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to
the life, needs and aspirations of the people. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has altered
the process of education (Taub, 2020).
At primary and secondary level, COVID-19 resulted into the introduction of emergency
remote learning. This does not support the personal interaction between teacher and pupil.
However, at primary level remote learning is difficult to implement because Zambia is a poor
country and funding education system is very difficult. In fact, online learning is expensive
and difficult at the same time because it needs knowledge on how to use it and resource
materials used. Unfortunately, despite best efforts to set up a supportive remote learning in
Zambia, school closures resulted in actual learning losses. Alarmingly, these losses are found
to be much higher among children whose parents have less education (Van-de Groep, Zanolie
and Green, 2020).
Moreover, learning losses may translate into even greater long-term challenges. It has long
been known that decreases in test scores or exam results is associated with future declines in
employment. Conversely, increases in pupils achievement lead to significant increases in
future income, as do additional years of schooling. In the absence of any intervention, the
learning losses arising from the COVID-19 pandemic have a long-term compounding negative
effect on many children’s future well-being. These learning losses could translate into less
access to higher education, lower labor market participation, and lower future earnings
(Anderson, Haeder and Caseman, 2020).
COVID-19 has further reduced the infrastructure development in that the money allocated to
building more primary and secondary schools have been allocated to fight the pandemic. The
fact that the pandemic is so alarming, the government has given more attention than any other
program. The primary and secondary school curriculum has been affected. With the reopening
of schools for the coming academic year severely compromised and travel likely to remain
restricted even after the confinement period, international students are being forced to deal
with the reality of online learning. Teachers also feel out of touch with pupils. In particular,
they speak of not being able to form bonds with their pupils (Van-de Groep, Zanolie and
Green, 2020).
Indeed, the infrastructural challenges limit school attendance. Schools suffer from limited
places and accessibility as well as facilities lacking equipment, poor water and electrical
access; a significant portion of pupils and pupil's families reported an inability to pay fees and
attendant costs; and irregular staff quality is also cited as a contributing factor to dropout.

6
Since COVID-19 is affecting everyone, many parents are failing to pay fees fr their children
and many pupils dropped out of school because of the financial crisis. Most of the parents
depends on farming as their economic activity and COVID-19 has resulted in reduction in
market of goods. Hence, financial crisis has hit many communities (Anderson, Haeder and
Caseman, 2020).
In the research done in Lusaka by Chrine et al (2020) head teachers and education officers in
selected schools observed that COVID-19 negatively affected secondary school students by
their psychological nature. This also affected the syllabi material content, professional
coaching especially in deemed ‘difficulty’ subjects like mathematics, science, Biology, design
and technology and computer studies. The absence of professional coaching is in a way a
vacuum making allowance for undesirable learning outcomes. The main purpose of coaching
is to make available extra classes for the pupils, so they are able to improve their academic
performance. The poverty stricken individuals mainly possess low literacy skills or they are
not educated, hence, they are unable to provide any kinds of instructions and training to their
children. Students may achieve low scores, because they lack the help obtained from trained
and experienced personnel (Sintema, 2020).
The fact that COVID-19 has a great impact on the economic aspect in the country and the
country’s attention has shift from other sectors to COVID-19, there is need to consider and
prioritize education system. Economic. This means that education system has been neglected.
This has an impact on designing the curriculum (Sintema, 2020).
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, education is undergoing constant changes under
the effects corona virus. The pandemic has an impact on both primary and secondary
curriculum in education system. The effects on education bring rapid changes in the way
education should be run, changing the roles of pupils and teachers, and producing a shift in the
way education should be conducted (Sintema, 2020). For any country to attain quality
education and to produce educated literate, there is need to reform curriculum. The
reformation of the curriculum is vital in education system as it helps to provide effective
learning and competitive quality education. Quality education is one of the fundamental
factors that the Ministry of Education aim to achieve (MoE, 1996). Since MoE in 1996
presents the aim of education in Zambia as being the development of a full and well-rounded
individual, for personal fulfillment and good of society, curriculum reform is the necessary
ingredient in providing quality education so as to produce learners according the desire of the
MoE. However, the demand for curriculum reform is very high. Covid-19 demands the

7
reformation of the curriculum because traditional teaching is no longer in existence. The fact
is, when designing curriculum, there is need to consider certain aspects such as time (Moyo
and Sebopetsa, 2020 and United Nations, 2020). In case of Covid-19 era, children or pupils
have little time to spend in school hence, there is need to reform the curriculum which could
embrace blended learning. This means that children should learn both physical and online and
in case of the children from primary school, radio programs can be implemented (Sintema,
2020).
COVID-19 has also influenced curriculum in the sense that there is need to change the
curriculum so as to include the pandemic in the school curriculum. The curriculum should
address the emerging challenges so as to strengthen and accelerate COVID-19 responses. In
fact, a curriculum cannot be formed without considering societal issues and at present
COVID-19 is a society issue (Hapompwe, Kukano and Siwale, 2020).
Borrowing ideas from Kabombwe and Mulenga (2019) observed, the process of curriculum
reform is necessary in education system because it helps teachers to focus on the improvement
and innovation educational system. This is the goal of the revised 2013 Zambian educational
curriculum. The introduction of the competent based curriculum in 2013 was to help learners
acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are likely to equip them with competencies
that they can effectively use to serve society and the nation at large. This means that such can
be successful through the reforming of the desired curriculum. Curriculum reform helps
teachers to share expected behaviors or tasks, conditions for their performance, and acceptable
standards with learners. Hence, promoting learners to achieve a presetting ability. The
curriculum reform deals with the desires and ideals to be combined in a cyclic process of
design, implementation and evaluation to achieve concrete results in practice (Hapompwe,
Kukano and Siwale, 2020). However, the outbreak of COVID-19 is a serious threat to
curriculum reform process because it is hard for learners to acquire practical skills as
stipulated in 2013 curriculum because learning is mostly taking place online. This will
increase the number of educated illiteracy in the society (David, 2021).
The fact that the pandemic has reduced human contact and led to unnecessarily closure, time
to be in school for pupils has reduced. This has affected the content that has to be taught in
school. Pupils at both primary and secondary have little time to learn. Thus, COVID-19
demand that neither too much nor too little material to be put in the curriculum over a given
period of time. The reason being that too much material would exhaust learners time while too

8
much little of it will not help learners to have more knowledge (Hapompwe, Kukano and
Siwale, 2020).
Another important aspect that has been affected in education system due to the outbreak of
COVID-19 is the selection of the curriculum. This is necessitated by the impossibility of
teaching everything concerning the subject to learners. This deals with which topic to be
selected in the time of COVID-19. The fact is, blended learning may not be suitable to pupils
who are in rural areas and cannot afford to buy smart phones. As such, there is need to make
sure that only relevant topics are selected. Also, the combination of a curriculum that was
unsuited to distance learning and geographical or technological factors that hindered access to
learning materials often constituted a significant obstacle. Most learners are disadvantaged as a
result of COVID-19 especially many rural learners. Without electricity, access to Television
and radio, and certainly online learning materials, education was all but impossible. Add to
that geographic distance from the school, and access to even paper-based learning materials is
very difficult (Mwale and Chita, 2020)
COVID-19 has brought the issue of learning through Television but this was greatly
negatively impacted by the 15-hour daily load shedding schedule which was effected by the
power utility company, ZESCO Limited observing that majority of public school pupils were
from high density low income families who could not afford alternative sources of energy to
access the lessons. In fact, those in the villages do not have access to television and hence do
not participate in televised educational programs (Plamen, 2020).
In addition, Hapompwe, Kukano and Siwale (2020) observed that in COVID-19 era, broadcast
has ostensibly transferred the responsibility of managing and coaching the learning process to
the parents or guardians whose majority education levels could not be supportive to the
learners. Zambia’s illiteracy levels are over 50% and most children in public schools of are
from homes whose parents or guardians have simply average education in urban areas and low
education in rural areas. Besides, the poverty levels in the city and rural areas entail that the
parents or guardians have to leave homes early morning to late afternoon in fending for
livelihood and cannot hire a private tutor. This idea was supported by Plamen (2020) who
identified poverty and illiteracy as being serious barriers in learners’ better academic
performance. Therefore, the problem of poverty is considered as one of the critical factors that
hinder the academic performance of the students. When they do not possess the essential
resources to enhance their learning, then they are unable to improve their grades as well while

9
the problem of illiteracy is also regarded as an impediment within the course of recognizing
the significance of education (Kuhfeld, Soland and Tarasawa, 2020).
However, COVID-19 has great impact on gender. Gender gaps has increased in Zambia as it
has led to differences. For the most part, the negative impacts can be expected to exacerbate
and deepen. In addition, those same differences may call for differential roles in the efforts to
fight the crisis, especially in the first phase of prevention and containment, but also in the
follow up. Hence, such issues must be addressed in the curriculum (Hapompwe, Kukano and
Siwale, 2020).
The cry of many was that the platform provided lacked diversity and variety; opining that as a
method of trying to enhance accessibility, a lot of electronic and digital platforms could have
been availed even away from the traditional mode of delivery as currently being provided. The
interviewees shared the view that other platforms like Moodle, Virtual, Web-based, face book,
note books, DVDs, CLANED, telegram, zoom etc. could have been provided so that the
choice would have been broader for consumers coupled with the understanding that this would
also help evade or circumvent the load shedding problem (Kuhfeld, Soland and Tarasawa,
2020). Dynamism, experientialism and interactionism of the materials would allow for greater
benefits to learners pedagogically as the current offering which is largely impersonal excites
boredom and laziness to learners. Worse still, the lesson contact period has been reduced from
the standard 40 minutes to 30 minutes thereby forcing teachers or learners to teach or learn at a
pace not realistic for learner’s content assimilation especially that there is no interaction,
rewind, reciprocity and so on (Hapompwe, Kukano and Siwale, 2020).
It is conspicuously clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning schedule of
the entire education sector in Zambia but the adverse effect is anticipated on grades 7, 9 and
12 whose summative examinations in 2020 were due in 3 and 6 months’ time though it was
not yet clear as to when the ‘self-isolation’ measures may be lifted up to pave way for re-
opening of schools (Hapompwe, Kukano and Siwale, 2020). In the current scenario, the case
and death tolls stand has risen. This scenario has put the education system in a quagmire and
quandary as the regional body, Southern Africa Development Community simply ended up
with a synoptic diplomatic statement that there is mobilization of regional support towards
containment and mitigation of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the
SADC region; and partnering with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) to ensure continuity of education and learning programs to avert the
negative impact (Murphy, 2020).

10
However, there are no tangible activities in the education sector as purported by SADC to
demystify the looming COVID-19 negative effect on education sector in general but
examination students’ academic performance in particular. The reduction in the contact hours
of students without reduction in their syllabi materials, lack of assessments and coaching from
professional staff coupled with none availability of learning materials are critical factors which
will impede the performance of learners in the forthcoming examinations. This feeling of
inadequacy by learners normally invoke examination fever. The fear resulting from
examinations is an emotional state that affects the attention, concentration, thinking and
memory and this has a bearing on the learners’ ultimate performance (Hapompwe, Kukano
and Siwale, 2020).

Impact of COVID-19 at college/university level.

Governments in Zambia closed down educational institutions early. With very little warning,
the whole approach to education through classroom teaching became enviable, with little
planned to replace it. This problem faced governments worldwide but has been particularly
severe in most African countries where there is a wide disparity in provision for the ‘elite’ and
for less advantaged people, mostly in rural areas. While educational programs on television
and radio were quickly launched by many governments, they were only accessible to those
with access to a television or a radio set. Similarly, online learning was only accessible to
those with internet access (Murphy, 2020).
While the need for distance learning was clear from the outset of the pandemic, achieving
effective reach to students was more complex. Universities were left to their own devices and
their responses varied according to their resources and resourcefulness. At both the primary
and secondary school levels, priority was often accorded to continuing with examination
classes (Those classes taking the primary and secondary leaving certificates). But, for the
majority, neither students nor teachers had any prior experience in teaching and learning
outside the classroom. This did not always equate to their relative wealth or poverty. It was
quickly clear that, for the majority of students, sophisticated technological approaches were
not always the answer. Survey respondents were clear in highlighting the three main obstacles
for students in the midst of university shutdown: a lack of access to technology, an unsuitable
home learning environment, and a lack of access to learning materials. For lecturers, the main
impediment was the lack of appropriate training to design and manage distance learning

11
programs. This was compounded by a lack of infrastructure, electricity, connectivity, devices;
and a lack of appropriate learning materials (Moyo and Sebopetsa, 2020).
As alluded to earlier, education is one of the factors that improves the lives of people and help
to develop the society and in Zambian societies, attaining higher education is the greatest
achievement in one’s life. The Zambian government have realized the importance of
education system and as such it entails an education system that is both theoretical and
practical nature. This has been incorporated in the 2013 education curriculum where the
education is meant to improve the livelihood of the people. The new national curricular in
Zambia has incorporated a skills and practical oriented pathway in institutions of learning. The
goal is to produce a learner who will be self-sufficient and self-employed. As such, the
education system in its curriculum has combine intellectual pursuits with physical labour
(MoE, 1996). However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted the delivery system of
education at all levels. At university level, students from privileged backgrounds, supported
by their parents and eager and able to learn, could find their way past closed school doors to
alternative learning opportunities. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds often remained shut
out when their universities shut down. This crisis has exposed the many inadequacies and
inequities in the education systems from access to the broadband and computers needed for
online education, and the supportive environments needed to focus on learning, up to the
misalignment between resources and needs (Sintema, 2020).
Covid19 has affected education system at high institution as education at this level is
undergoing constant changes. The effects on education bring rapid changes in the way
education should be run, changing the roles of students and lecturers, and producing a shift in
the way education should be conducted. In high learning institution, COVID-19 has affected
the academic performance (Mwale and Chita, 2020). This is because the blended learning is
not suitable for everyone. Not only that but also the online assessment has a lot of
disadvantages which are as follows. Most of assignments written online by only relying on
online materials have been characteristic by high level of plagiarism, poorly written and are
not adequately researched. Students writing online tests and quizzes do not perform very well
as most of them live in remote areas where network is poor. Some test are written in group
work rather than individual level and hence t becomes hard to assess pupil’s performance
(Fegert, Vitiello and Plener, 2020).
In some countries many institutions have been closed to protect the safety of the students. In
other institutions, restrict measures are implemented and there are provision of online services.

12
This has resulted in the use of online library. E-library is the library that is accessed online by
the students to supplement their studies. With the increase in technology, e-library has become
an important learning site. However, e-library has been received with mixed feelings as some
people find it difficult to access materials online. This brings to the fact that the most difficult
thing to implement is change (Sintema, 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments worldwide to place their countries in
academic restriction in education system. The internet has become the most important
education platform. In many institutions, zoom, modular object-Orient dynamic learning
environment (Moodle) and Google meet have become common platform used in teaching and
learning process. With the network in Zambia, online lessons have been poorly done. Only
few individuals attend online classes and the rest study for themselves. Some lecturers do not
have idea on how to provide online classes and this is has created serious challenges. In some
cases, learning does not take place because of many factors (Fegert, Vitiello and Plener, 2020).
The most important factor has reduced academic performance is the fact that learners cannot
access physical library because learning takes place in their homes. The role of libraries in
public emergencies has been discussed with much attention in recently. Some people have
proposed that the librarians should take advantage of the advancement of internet technology
so that people should be accessing library materials (Harris and Larsen, 2019).
While public health officials largely agree that the general threat of COVID-19 is best fought
with measures of social distancing, the specific acts of instituting emergency eLearning
protocols do not alter the pandemic itself, but only indirectly by limiting face-to-face
classroom interactions. Community transmission presents a particular challenge to higher
education institutions and campus life. Network analysis of the UNZA campus, for instance,
demonstrates how universities are uniquely vulnerable spaces (Leeb, Price and Sliwa, 2020). .
A lack of access to technology is considered to be the biggest barrier for learning during the
current pandemic together with school closures. Learners in rural communities are those most
likely to be disadvantaged as a result. The most cited limitation is the lack of availability and
affordability of connectivity (Harris and Larsen, 2019).
Many scholars have argued that e-learning has setback because students are left with no option
and is the only thing that is not accessible to everyone. For example, students do not register at
the same time and those who register late do not have access to education. Some students are
not on a government sponsorship and do not manage to pay on time. Due to COVID-19, many
parents were laid off, because the company has sent some of its workers away. During lock

13
down, no one knew when the lockdown was to be lifted and whether it was to resume. Of
course, E-learning is a useful tool in times like these, but if students are not registered, it
becomes difficult. Examinations at higher education are also affected, causing disruption to
students’ learning trajectories and progression. Although many higher education institutions
offered online courses before the pandemic, few students considered it as the sole alternative
to physical in-person learning (Leeb, Price and Sliwa, 2020).
Additionally, some students reported unpreparedness to embrace e-learning and limited skills.
For example, some students remarked that there was need for more time to learn how to go about
e-learning. Lessons were to be provided on how to use the platform as days go by. The most
challenging pat was that ICT was not compulsory and only those who did the course find less
difficulties in adapting the e-learning fast. Hence, poor computer skills perceive e-learning
technology use as difficult, compared to those with Higher Education and program Delivery in
the Context of COVID-19. There are, however, challenges to overcome. Some students
without reliable internet access and technology struggle to participate in digital learning. This
is the biggest problem and this gap is seen across countries and between income brackets
within countries. For example, in 2020, very few people had access to online classes at the
University of Zambia. Even lecturers have challenges on how to conduct online classes. This
was a serious challenge the university faced. The country recorded a significant gap between
those from privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds (Harris and Larsen, 2019 and Sandhu
2020).
Similarly, most students at higher education expressed that there they faced difficulties to
learn as individuals because of being used to learning as a group in the traditional face-to-face
program delivery. This closely resonates with studies that have documented that students’
reported distress with online learning attributed to the general feeling of ‘disconnect’ due to
the lack of face to-face interaction ( Sandhu, 2020).
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general
consensus on children, especially younger ones, is that a structured environment is required,
because kids are more easily distracted. To get the full benefit of online learning, there needs
to be a concerted effort to provide this structure and go beyond replicating a physical class or
lecture through video capabilities, instead, using a range of collaboration tools and
engagement methods that promote inclusion, personalization and intelligence. It is clear that
this pandemic has utterly disrupted an education system that many assert was already losing its
relevance (Mwale and Chita, 2020).

14
Research done by students from the University of Zambia ridge way campus shows that
COVID-19 has affected the mental health of pharmacy students and reduced their time to do
physical activity. Though this was expected, it is the magnitude of the impact on mental health
that is noteworthy. The study revealed that many of the students experienced the anxiety of
which the majority had experienced mild anxiety. The survey further found that many students
felt helpless as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading in Zambia. Previous studies
have also reported that COVID-19 affects the mental health of students. A study in China
reported that most of the students experienced mild anxiety. Another study in China reported
overall anxiety with the majority of the students experiencing mild anxiety (Sandhu, 2020).

Similarly, World Health Organization (2021) reported that undergraduate medical students
experienced stress as a result of COVID-19. The survey and other similar studies reported that
students experienced mental health problems associated with COVID-19. However, the
prevalence of mental health problems reported in Zambian study is higher than the ones
reported in similar studies. This difference could be because the Zambian setting is resource-
constrained. Also, the prevalence of anxiety in Zambian study may have been higher since the
pharmacy students experienced online learning for the first time. The mental health problems
reported in the study were mainly associated with reduced care from family members, not
changing attention to one’s mental health, being in the final year of study, this version posted.
Similar studies reported that mental health problems could have been affected by factors such
as fear of contracting the virus, social distancing economic impacts of COVID-19, fear of
delayed academic progression, fear of poor academic performance, and impact of COVID-19
on family and social networks. Mental health problems associated with COVID-19 have been
reported in different populations including healthcare workers and the general population.
Therefore, this indicates that COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of different
populations of people. Physical activity and mental health (Mwale and Chita, 2020).
In this survey, the majority of the students’ attention to mental health (61.2%) and time to rest
(44.3%) has increased as a result of COVID-19. However, most of the students reported that
their time to relax (51.3%) and exercise (45.4%) had reduced. It was found that the students
spent more time resting, but very little time relaxing and exercising. Physical activity has been
linked to the improved mental health of human beings. Additionally, physical activity reduces
mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, and

15
mood swings. Even minimal physical activities while staying at home can be performed so
that individuals remain active during the pandemic (David, 2021).
However, due to COVID-19, preventive measures such as social distancing and restrictions in
movements meant that students spent their time at home and had no access to physical
exercising facilities like a gymnasium. This caused their resting time to increase while the
exercising time reduced and thus may have resulted in anxiety. Similarly, other studies
reported that there has been a significant reduction in physical activity as a result of
quarantine. This reduction in physical activities is one of the contributing factors to the
reported mental health problems due to COVID-19. There is evidence that indicates that
reduced physical activity increases the risks of mental health problems among students. Since
many schools, colleges, and Universities are now open in Zambia, students must practice
simple exercises while observing the preventive measures of COVID-19 (Mwale and Chita,
2020).
The importance of good mental health and wellbeing in cognitive development cannot be
understated. With existing evidence showing that the majority of undergraduate pharmacy
students at UNZA predominantly utilize a strategic approach to learning an attribute
characterised by a focus on achieving and fear of failure, it was a cause for concern that the
negative impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of students could further affect their
cognitive development, approaches to learning, and academic outcomes. We, therefore, argue
that that educational policy and practice amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond should
consider adopting an instructional design that influences and enhances mental resilience in
addition to the attainment of meaningful learning outcomes, critical thinking and effective
study skills among pharmacy students. We further contend that in addition to modifying the
above facets of the learning environment at the university, extra consideration should be given
to provide psycho social support to students negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
(David, 2021).

General positive impact of COVID-19 on education at all levels

Despite the negative impact outlined above, COVID-19 has some positive impact on education
system at all levels. COVID-19 has led to knowledge expansion in terms of research especially
at secondary and higher level. Since learners are learning from home as it was the case when
many schools closed, learners did not have any option but to study and research on their own.
This matches with the 2013 revised educational curriculum which focus on learners

16
developing more knowledge through research. In short the 2013 education curriculum focus
on learner centred and learners researching on their own is the best way to make learners
understand and expand their knowledge. Improving research skills is important in the 21 st
century because education in today,s world means producing learners who are well rounded
with skills and knowledge that would help learners live and adapt to the society (Naciri, Baba,
Achbani and Kharbach, 2020).
Additionally, COVID-19 has led to improve in technological skills. There is general
appreciation of technology and most learners panic to advance their technological skills. Since
government of Zambia through the Ministry of Education proposed a blended learning to
ensure the continuity of education despite the lockdown, this blended learning focus on the use
technology and offer online classes and learning experiences as a substitute for in-class time.
This means that every students needs to know the technological skills which is one of the aims
of education in the 21st century. Following the discussion by Muleya (2018), the other way of
creating employment for the youths and graduates is through imparting them with
Information Communication and Technological (ICT) skills so that to improve youths
computer literate. This is important as it makes the Zambian government to avoid producing
educated illiterates. Computer and communication skills care therefore important as they are
used not only in business but also communication skills that helps an individual interact with
others in a corporate world (Naciri, Baba, Achbani and Kharbach, 2020).

To shade more light in the above point, students developing 21st Century Skills is essential
during the pandemic. Remote learning models are giving students a unique opportunity and
purpose for developing and applying many important 21st century skills. Students are learning
new ways to collaborate and communicate as they interact with their classmates and educators
in new ways. They are also increasingly being asked to think critically and creative and solve
problems as they find new ways of accessing and demonstrating their learning (Hogan, 2020).
Moreover, COVID-19 has made digital technologies to be part of learning in classrooms for a
long time now and the shift to remote learning has seen teachers relying on them more than
ever to provide quality learning experiences. Many teachers and learners have developed their
capacity for embedding technology in their teaching and found innovative ways to maximize
the potential of digital tools. Remote learning is shifting digital tools from a ‘nice to have’ to a
‘must have’ (Moyo and Sebopetsa, 2020).
COVID-19 has helped students to learn while in their homes. This is very important as
distance is no longer a barrier in education system. Students are learning while they are in their

17
homes which has not only proved that distance is not a barrier in education system but it has
also reduced the cost that come with education such as students paying for their
accommodation. Parents therefore have the burden to look for money for fees and not
accommodation and food staffs. Also, in the high education, the use of google meet, Zoom and
other platforms has helped learners to interact with learners online which is also effective.
Learners appreciate the importance of education and that they learn from home, students can
do other things such as business. This gives students to create opportunities and engage with
the world so as to live a better life (United Nations, 2020).
It is of essence to mention that COVID-19 has helped the students to identify and solve real-
world problems without challenges. In an ideal world, learning should always be connected to
students own lives and be based on authentic contexts and experiences. This is the case in
COVID-19 era and teachers have grasped the opportunity for students to tackle some of the
many real-world problems presented by the pandemic (Naciri, Baba, Achbani and Kharbach,
2020).

Measures to be taken so as to improve education in the COVID-19 era

To every problem, there is a solution this means that education can be improved even during
COVID-19. Given that the impact of Covid-19 on educational practice is not likely to
disappear, the need for an effective online pedagogy is paramount. There is need to design
learning in such a way that educators can engage and motivate students online. Furthermore,
educators need to be given agency to develop confidence in adopting different ways of
working and interacting with both colleagues and learners, while, ultimately, being mindful of
the impact of the forced change on the well-being of students and educators alike (Moyo and
Sebopetsa, 2020).
To mitigate these challenges while also building a more resilient system that can withstand
future crises, there is need to make three core recommendations for Zambia and other
countries: implementing learning recovery programs, protecting education budgets, and
preparing for future shocks. Implement learning recovery programs. Most immediately,
governments must ensure that students who have fallen behind receive the support that they
need to catch up to expect learning targets. The first step must be to carry out just-in-time
assessments to identify these students and their support needs. Research has shown that 12-
week programs of tutoring can help students make the kind of progress that would be expected
from three to five months of normal schooling (CUTS and UNDP, 2020).

18
Zambia is implementing learning continuity programs, including through the establishment of
the Zambian online school platform for distance and blended learning for students. The
project, organized by Zambia's Ministry of Education helps teachers and students to remain
connected, gain access to educational materials, and continue schooling during the period of
enhanced quarantine measures when schools are closed. The platform contains lessons in 18
basic subjects and consists of videos, tests, and a compendium of lessons. Students also have
the opportunity to track their learning progress. Even so, studies confirm that limited internet
connectivity and access to devices for online learning (especially in rural areas), compounded
by inadequate public support for distance learning, poses challenges. In addition to learning
continuity programs, Zambia could consider supporting ”just-in-time” student assessments to
measure the extent of learning losses and identify the students who have fallen behind and
may need additional targeted support to catch up. Accelerated learning or tutoring programs
could help address the learning gap (Hogan, 2020).
Protect the education budget. Given the significant financial strain that economies have been
under during the pandemic, some countries may face government budget cuts that could
jeopardize the gains that have been made in recent years in terms of access to education and
improved learning outcomes. To ensure a resilient recovery, it is essential that the education
budget be protected and that the schools that need financing the most are supported. To help
the most vulnerable students, governments should prioritize by directing much of the funding
and resources to support schools delivering remote instruction, particularly if those schools are
serving high-poverty and high-minority populations. To encourage students to remain in
school, incentives such as scholarships may need to be implemented. Yet learning recovery
programs will not be feasible without substantial financial support. In the presence of budget
cuts, affluent families will be able to continue to fund educational boosts like tutoring;
however, lower-income families will not as easily be able to fill this gap (Lee, 2020).
Zambia has taken steps to protect and shore up education spending in 2021 by increasing
transfers to local governments for teaching aids and equipment, providing further support and
social protection to teachers and academic staff through salary increases, and implementing a
new transfer to local governments for school safety and other measures aimed at combating
COVID-19. Looking ahead, Zambia will want to closely monitor overall funding levels for
education to ensure that funds are being used efficiently and that resources are available to
support learning recovery interventions, particularly for those students who most need them
(CUTS and UNDP, 2020).

19
COVID-19 is giving the message to the Zambian government to prepare for future shocks by
building back better infrastructure in both education and health. It is imperative that
government should not only recover from the pandemic but that to use this experience to
become better prepared for future crises. To support this aim, Zambia need to build capacity to
provide blended models of education in the future. Schools should be better prepared to switch
easily between face-to-face and remote learning as needed. This will protect the education of
students not only during future pandemics, but also during other shocks that might cause
school closures, such as natural disasters or adverse weather events. It will also create
opportunities for more individualized approaches to teaching and learning. With this in mind,
it will be necessary to develop flexible curricula that can be taught in person or online.
Additionally, teachers need to be better equipped to manage a wide range of Internet
Technology devices in the event of future school closures. Offering short training courses to
improve their digital skills will help. Using the post-pandemic period to rebuild education
systems and make them resilient is a priority. At the same time, it is important to build a future
education system that can make better use of blended learning models to reach all learners at
their level and to provide more individualized approaches to teaching (Lee, 2020).

Although this is a long-term process, Zambia is already taking steps in this area. The
authorities have developed regulations for distance education, and efforts are ongoing to
continue to expand the number of schools with internet connectivity and access to digital
devices and equipment to allow for greater use of blended learning approaches in schools
going forward. Even so, building back better requires bold action and a vision for the kind of
human capital Zambia will need to grow and thrive in the future. It is critical to continue the
larger education reform process that was started initially in 2014, including both the New
Ukrainian School (NUS) initiative in school education and the reform of higher education in
line with the standards of the European Higher Education Area. Zambia’s MoE is preparing a
project with other stake holders to support learning continuity and operational resilience in
higher education through initiatives to expand digitalization in the education sector. These
efforts will help higher education institutions to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 while
also adapting to more resilient and flexible approaches going forward (Hogan, 2020).

To mitigate the impact of this situation and ensure students can continue to learn, the Ministry
of General Education (MoGE) has been working with partners to implement a COVID-19
emergency response and recovery plan. Zambia received a US$10 million COVID-19
emergency grant from GPE to support interventions that are fully aligned with this plan. GPE

20
acted swiftly by processing and approving the government’s application within a few days of
receiving it, as supporting education systems from the onset of the pandemic is the best way to
protect the most vulnerable students (CUTS and UNDP, 2020).
The GPE-funded program promotes continuous learning for students during the stay-at-home
orders, along with support for a sustainable and safe learning environment across the country
when schools re-open. Additionally, the program aims to fortify Zambia’s education system to
help the country respond effectively to future crises. To ensure students can continue learning
during the school closures, the program aims to strengthen the MoGE’s existing distance and
alternative learning system by supporting the production, dissemination and delivery of
education through radio programs. The program will primarily focus on radio-based learning
as an initial step to respond quickly, inclusively and with maximum reach. A total of 4.4
million students from early childhood education to lower secondary school will be reached
through this program. The content of the radio program will be developed for the full school
year so that students will be able to continue learning should school closures be extended
(Naciri, Baba, Achbani and Kharbach, 2020).
The GPE program recognizes that not all students have the same access to remote learning
platforms. Therefore, vulnerable students, including girls and children from low-income
households, will receive solar radios and SD cards with pre-recorded lessons, to ensure access
to distance learning content even in areas with poor or no radio frequency coverage. Children
with special education needs will be provided with adapted tablets to access remote learning
alongside their peers (Hogan, 2020).
The government should also focus on supporting teachers to deliver quality education.
Teachers are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in often unanticipated ways. Keeping
students engaged through distance learning, as well as monitoring and assessing progress
without prior experience can prove challenging (Kuhfeld, Soland and Tarasawa, 2020). Hence,
teacher’s salaries should be increased so as to motivate the teachers. The fact is, all
preofesionals can boast but a teacher taught them all. This shows how important teachers are.
Also, recruiting more teachers to improve the quality of education and this reduce the teacher
pupil ratio.
To overcome COVID-19 pandemic, teachers need to be trained on providing support and
tools, as well as on engagement with students through distance learning. Additional training on
how to use simple technologies - including WhatsApp, SMS, and radio broadcast phone to

21
monitor students’ performance will allow for teachers to connect with children who may be at
a higher risk of dropping out of school (CUTS and UNDP, 2020).
Technology in the Teaching-Learning Process should be the priority of every teacher as Hogan
(2020) suggest that the stresses that technology is regarded as imperative to enhance learning.
When students need to improve their skills and abilities regarding academic concepts, then
internet serves as the imperative source of obtaining knowledge and information. It is the duty
of the teacher to help pupils develop their pupils.
In educational institutions, the primary objective is to ensure that students are able to acquire a
satisfactory understanding of the academic concepts and produce desired academic outcomes.
In textbooks, sometimes the knowledge is limited, hence, in order to acquire better
understanding of the lesson plans, the students make use of the internet, take down notes and
are able to acquire a better understanding. In the present existence, technology is even made
use of in the preparation of projects, reports, and assignments. Earlier when technology was
not adequately made use of in schools, then students used to prepare their assignments using
stationary items. The use of technology also helps in correcting the errors and making the
assignment appropriate (CUTS and UNDP, 2020).
However, this notwithstanding, the Zambian education system is far below average in
conclusive integration of Internet Communication and Technology in the teaching-learning
process as most schools even in Lusaka have only average number of computers with 1:2
ratios and without internet access. This implies that the school system has not in any way
migrated to digital platforms in education service provision at the levels in question and
therefore raises a lot of challenges in the wake of COVID-2019 school closures but education
continuity (Kuhfeld, Soland and Tarasawa, 2020)
In conclusion, The COVID-19 pandemic has affected and will continue to affect the delivery
of knowledge and skills at all levels of education. Although many children and adult learners
will likely compensate for this interruption of traditional educational services and adapt to new
modalities, some will struggle. The widening of the gap for those whose families cannot
absorb the teaching and supervision of education required for in-home education because they
lack the time and skills necessary are not addressed currently. The gap for those already at a
disadvantage because of socioeconomic class, language, and special needs are most severely
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic school closures and will have the hardest time
compensating. As pediatricians, it is critical to continue to check in with our young patients
about how they are coping and what assistance we can guide them toward in the communities.

22
 REFERENCES

Anderson S., Haeder S., Caseman K. (2020). “When adolescents are in school during
COVID-19, coordination between school-based health centers and education is key”.
Journal of Adolescence Health. 67(6), 745–746.
CUTS and UNDP. (2020). Mitigating the Socio-economic Impact of Covid-19 in Zambia: A
Rapid Assessment, April 2020. Lusaka: UNDP.
David, Y. (2021). Curriculum Innovation in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The
Thinking-Based Instruction Theory and Its Application. New York: State University
of New York.
Dayal, H. C. (2020). When are we going to have the Real School? A Case Study of Early
Childhood Education and Care Teachers’ Experiences Surrounding Education during
the Covid-19 Pandemic. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. 45(4), 336–347.
Fegert J.M., Vitiello, B and Plener P.L. (2020). “Challenges and Burden of the Coronavirus
2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic For Child and Adolescent Mental Health: a Narrative
Review To Highlight Clinical and Research Needs In the Acute Phase and the Long
Return to Normality”. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Mental Health. 1(4), 200-234.
Francisco, I. (2021). “Similarities and Differences between HIV and SARS-Cov-2.”
International Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol.18, No. 3, 846-851.

23
Hapompwe, C. Kukano, C & Siwale, J. (2020). “Impact of Covid-19 on Zambia’s 2020
General Education Examination Candidates’ Academic Performance in Lusaka: E-
Learning Issues.” International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. 10
(5), 2250-3153.
Harris, D and Larsen, M. (2019). The Effects of the New Orleans Post-Katrina Market-based
School Reforms on Medium Term Student Outcomes. New Orleans (LA): Education
Research Alliance for New Orleans.
Hogan, A.B, (2020). Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries: A Modelling Study. New York:
United Nations
Jacob H and Elizabeth, M. (2021). The Effect of COVID-19 on Education. Geneva: Gulf
Medical University, Ajman, UAE.
Kuhfeld M., Soland J and Tarasawa, B. (2020). Projecting the Potential Impact of Covid-19
School Closures on Academic Achievement. Journal of African Education. 49 (8),
549–565.
Lee, J. (2020). “Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19”. Lancet Child
Adolesc Health. 4(6), 412-421.
Leeb R.T., Price, S and Sliwa S. (2020). “COVID-19 Trends among School-aged Children
in United States, March 1-September 19, 2020”. World Journal of Health. 69(39),
1410–1415.
MoE. (1996). Educating Our Future, National Policy. Lusaka: MOE.

Moyo, H and Sebopetsa, N.S. (2020). “The impact of COVID – 19 Pandemic on the
Implementation of Curriculum Recovery Plan in Mopani West District, Limpopo
Province.” African Journal Online. 18 (4), 102-145.
Murphy, M.P. (2020). “COVID-19 and Emergency eLearning: Consequences of Higher
Education and Programme Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 31 the
Securitization of Higher Education for Post-pandemic Pedagogy”. Contemporary
Security Policy, 2(1), 1-14.
Mwale, N and Chita, J. (2020). Higher Education and Program Delivery in the Context of
COVID-19 and Institutional Closures: Student Responses to the Adoption of E-
Learning at a University in Zambia. Nobuhle, Labby, R and Nhlanhla M. J (Ed.).
Technology-based Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Time of
COVID-19. KwaZulu Natal: South Africa CSSALL Publishers (Pty) Ltd, 9-33.

24
Naciri, A., Baba, M.A., Achbani, A & Kharbach, A. (2020). Mobile Learning in Higher
Education: Unavoidable Alternative during COVID-19. Academia, 1(2), 1-34.
Oasakwe P.N. (2021). COVID-19 and the Challenge of Developing Productive Capacities in
Zambia. New York: United Nation.
OMEP Executive Committee OMEP Position Paper. (2020). Early Childhood Education and
Care in the Time of COVID-19. International Journal of Early Childhood. 8(4), 14-
24.
Plamen, D. (2020). Zambia rises to meet the Education Challenges Posed by the Corona `
Virus. Lusaka: Ndola Press.
Renck, J. M. (2021). “The Effects of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education and Care:
Research and Resources for Children, Families, Teachers, and Teacher Educators”.
Early Child Educational Journal. 2(4), 1–12.
Sandhu, P. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum.
Medical Education Online Journal. 25(1), 1764740.
Sintema, E.J. (2020). “Effect of COVID-19 on the performance of Grade 12 students:
Implications for STEM Education.” Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and
Technology Education, 16 (7), 7-28.
Taub, A. (2020). A new COVID-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide. New York: New
York Times.
United Nations (2020). Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the Socio-
Economic Impacts of COVID-19. New York: United Nations.
United Nations. (2020). Policy Brief: The Impact of Covid-19 on Education. New York:
United Nations.
Van de Groep S., Zanolie K and Green K.H. (2020). A daily diary study on Adolescents
Mood, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cape Town:
University of South Africa.
World Health Organization. (2021). Zambian Covid-19 Situation Report. Lusaka: MOH.

25