Exploring The Effects Of Terrorism On The Education Of Children In Daadab Refugee Camps
Abstract
This study examined the effects of terrorism on education in Dadaab Refugee Camps in
the northeastern part of Kenya. Specifically, the study explored the impact of terrorism
on secondary school students' behaviour, attendance, and academic performance. The
prospect theory was used as the underpinning framework for examining and
understanding the effects of terrorism on education. Primary data was collected from 30
purposefully selected students (15 boys and 15 girls) in three conveniently selected
secondary schools in Dadaab Refugee Camps. All the students involved in the study were
currently residing in the refugee camps and were attending school regularly. A qualitative
research design featuring in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and secondary
sources was used to gather data over two weeks in April 2022. The findings reveal that
terrorism had negatively affected students' behaviour, attendance and performance in the
secondary schools used as a case study in this research project. The results indicated
terrorism has affected school attendance because of terrorism-induced closures, fear of
attacks, psychological trauma, and discouragement by parents. The study also revealed
that student performance had declined considerably due to lack of motivation, anxiety
and psychological trauma, interrupted learning, inadequate number of teachers, lack of
adequate infrastructure and study materials, and absenteeism. Finally, the study
established that students have become more undisciplined started to use drugs and
alcohol and were easily irritable. The study suggests that county and national
governments implement effective solutions to curb terrorism to ensure a safe and secure
learning environment. It is suggested that teachers, students, and their parents should also
take responsibility by being vigilant to keep any unwanted individuals out of the school
environment. The study recommended carrying out a follow-up investigation in more
refugee camps to compare the findings for consistency.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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