Effects of Covid-19-related School Closures on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Vihiga Subcounty, Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

Life around the world has been significantly disrupted by the corona virus.The impact of the pandemic has been felt by different sectors including the education sector. The pandemic, like any other, had a wide-ranging impact on education. Government decisions have been directed toward a common goal of reducing the spread of the virus by instituting socializing regulations. Many countries suspended face-to-face teaching. This study intended to ascertain how the academic performance of children in public primary schools in Vihiga Sub-County, Vihiga County, Kenya, was impacted by school closures related to COVID-19,determine how pupils' lesson attendance in public primary schools in Vihiga Sub-County, Vihiga County has been impacted by the shutdown of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, determine how students' self-guided study has been affected due to COVID-19 pandemic in public primary schools in Vihiga Sub-County, Vihiga County, and determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closure on students' performance in continuous assessment tests in public primary schools in Vihiga Sub-County, Vihiga County.The research used a descriptive survey design, and 145 participants,who included head teachers, class 8 teachers, class 8 students, and Sub County MoE officials, were handed questionnaires using the Likert scale. The respondents were randomly picked for the study and the data was analyzed using SPSS 23. The research revealed thatit was difficult for the students to learn well at home. It was found that the pandemic had endangered students' education since many of them lacked the necessary skills for self-directed study. The studies established that the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic had a significant detrimental impact on learners' academic performance, particularly those who attend public primary schools in rural and low-income areas. At the same time, precise actions that could lessen these harmful impacts were identified. Most learners have been out of the classroom for more than roughly half duration of a typical school year due to school closures. Given the extent to which school-based instructional time have been lost with the reopening of schools, determining the true degree of learning losses and implementing corrective actions are essential to prevent the establishment of medium and long-term educational issues. While there may be a high possibility to continue ceding decisions about syllabus coverage and appraisal tests to teachers, the study recommends a more diverse approach, including consideration of accelerated learning and additive remote strategies, as well as prospective endeavors to shore up as much learning time as possible.