The COVID 19 pandemic has had an impact on virtually every aspect of life, with education being one of the hardest-hit sectors. The pandemic has to date caused the disruption of learning to over a billion students and 73.8% of the world’s school population. In Nigeria, the school closure has affected 36,400,000 primary and secondary school learners across the country, including those internally displaced.

However, despite the lockdowns and closures, education has gone on; largely because of the commitment and dedication of teachers. In response to COVID-19 school closures and adherence to social distancing, UNESCO and many governments and agencies have focussed on the use of distance learning, to reduce disruption to education. This has come in many forms from the use of educational apps and virtual classrooms; to audio lessons and SMS groups. At the heart of each, has been a teacher.

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Education providers had to think deep and devise innovative ways to keep students learning at home, putting into consideration the challenges in terms of accessibility, connectivity and affordability.

Teachers have been pivotal in helping their students navigate the world of distance learning, and adjust to the new normal. Many of these teachers had to learn and adapt to the new approaches themselves before supporting learners and adjusting their usual daily routines. It has been a challenge and yet teachers have had to rise to the challenge; not just for themselves but for the many children who rely on them each day.

It is therefore uplifting that this year’s World Teacher’s Day celebration, themed “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future” celebrates the teaching profession and recognises the important role teachers played – and continue to play – during the current pandemic and solicits support for them because of the huge task ahead; as schools start to re-open.

Leading technology-based education provider, Bridge initiated the @Home learning program quickly to mitigate the impact of the closure of schools and ensure continued access to quality and equitable education. Many of these continued to have teachers at the heart of them; sensitising communities to how they worked and delivering learning through aspects of the @home programming. The @Home program has learning resources, designed for each grade or class level for children based on the curriculum.

The learning resources include grade-level learning guides; self-study activity packs which are designed to help children complete different tasks; hundreds of stories through the virtual storybook library to help children practice literacy and mobile interactive quizzes that children can take directly on WhatsApp; complementing the other aspects of the remote learning programme. In addition, virtual classrooms have been put in place with teachers simulating a class group and feedback sessions on Whatsapp and SMS groups.

A Bridge teacher, Enitan Adewusi, in Lagos had to adjust her daily routines to help her children and pupils at home. Enitan starts the day with helping her own children and their friends with their @Home learning lessons and spends the rest of the day helping her pupils who were set to write the national common entrance examination just before the lockdown started. Enitan has adapted to using technology, particularly WhatsApp to take the pupils through their daily lessons, answer questions and encourage them to stay safe while they learn at home. According to her, going the extra mile to help her pupils gave her fulfilment. “It is the joy of every teacher to see their pupils excel in any examination”. She said. “Lockdown has been challenging but parents and their children have worked hard to get to grip with the alternative resources and they are doing well.”

Teachers across Nigeria have risen to the challenge posed by COVID and have focussed on helping children continue to learn while providing support, reassurance and guidance to families and communities Programmes like EKOEXCEL@ home and EdoBEST@home have placed teachers at the heart of their programming and given families and children the reassurance they need of having teachers at the heart of their daily lives; despite the challenges of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world. This year, taking a moment to praise teachers seems especially important. Although teachers should be praised every day, taking a moment to celebrate the teaching profession, take stock of their achievements, and draw attention to the voices of teachers, gives us a moment of reflection and a chance to think about how the absence of the classroom has our everyday lives.

As learners gradually return to school there will be desperate efforts to try and close the gap created by months of school closures. Many countries, whose education systems were struggling before the pandemic, will not be able to continue to their old ways and should not. More than ever we will need investment and innovation in education systems.

These are all conversations that are taking place to build resilience and shape the future of education and the teaching profession. But, for today let us just take a moment to thank the teachers in our lives who have stepped up and kept kids learning, in the toughest of circumstances.

Vanguard News