ASSESSMENT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF ADULT LEARNERS IN TAFAWA BELEWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAUCHI STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Covid-19 is a worldwide pandemic that shutdown most countries and made things different in the world. The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on 30th January 2020 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In 2019, there was anxiety about the impact of a US-China trade war, the US presidential elections and Brexit on the World Economy. On account of these, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted moderated global growth of 3.4 percent. But COVID-19 – the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel strain of coronavirus from the SARS species – changed the outlook unexpectedly. Due to fear and uncertainty, and to rational assessment that firms’ profits are likely to be lower due to the impact of COVID-19, global stock markets erased about US$6 trillion in wealth in one week from 24th to 28th of February.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic increased the gaps in the educational sector globally. Though, the Coronavirus pandemic is novel, but it already has noxious effects on humanity. COVID-19 outbreak created educational disruptions, and global health concerns that proved very difficult to manage by global health systems. As at now, no nation or race across the world is immune from the coronavirus pandemic, and the entire world seems overwhelmed by the speed of the spread and the devastating effects of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has no boundaries, and the effect is large and fast. Just within few months of the outbreak of the disease, it drastically changed the lifestyles of the entire world with billions of people being forced to ‘stay at home’, ‘observe self isolations’, and work and learn from home. It has limited the freedom of people to move, trade or associate. Not only has COVID-19 caused a total lockdowns in many countries across the world, but it also caused the death of thousands of people including, women, and the elderly. It was more worrisome to know that reports from various continents, including, America, Africa, Asia, and Europe indicated a daily increase in the number of new cases, and mortality due to COVID-19. As at April, 2020, the number of global COVID-19 cases surpassed one million cases and more than 220,000 deaths. According to Opera News (2020) it was also frightening that the USA recorded more than 2000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day despite the country’s strong commitment to the fight against the contagion. The number of Coronavirus deaths was soaring with no immediate solutions in sight. The disease showed no sign of slowing down across the globe. The COVID-19 outbreak triggered the President of the United States, President Trump to invoke the “Defense Production Act”. The government also issued a national emergency as a result of the growing number of new cases of Coronavirus in the country (Priscillia, 2020).

Recent years have seen at least six large-scale outbreaks-hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, severe acute respiratory syndrome, H5N1 influenza, H1N1 influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Ebola virus disease epidemic (Gostin, et al., 2016). The influenza H1N1 2009 virus (A/2009/H1N1) was the first pandemic influenza of the 21^st century. It affected the whole world and caused more than 18,000 deaths (Rewar, Mirdha, &Rewar, 2015). Ebola killed more than 11,000 people and cost the world more than $2billion according to World Bank calculations (Maurice, 2016). Zika virus which broke out 2016 spread and threatened the health of people in 34 countries (Troncoso, 2016). These outbreaks made scientists and governments became worried about the extent of the devastation of these outbreaks on the world economy and education.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the widespread closure of institutions in the affected countries. As of 28th March, 2020, over 1.7 billion learners were out of institution due to institutions not in session because of the pandemic. According to UNESCO monitoring, over 100 countries have implemented nationwide closure, impacting nearly 90% of the world’s learner population. (UNESCO, COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response, 2020). Institution closure does not only affect learners, teachers, and families, but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences, (Lindzon, 2020). Institution closures in response to COVID-19 have shed light on various social and economic issues, including learner debt (Jamerson, Josh, & Joshua, 2020), digital learning (Karp & McGowan, 2020), food insecurity (Cecco, 2020) and homelessness (Ngumbi, 2020) as well as access to childcare (Belinda, 2020), health care (Feuer, 2020), housing (Barrett, 2020), internet (Jordan, 2020) and disability services (Alex, 2020). Previous outbreaks of infectious diseases have prompted widespread institution closing around the world with varying levels of effectiveness. (Simon, 2020).

It is in the light of the above discussions that this research work seeks to assess the effect of convid-19 pandemic on socio-economic lives of adult learners in Tafawa Belewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

• Statement of the Problem

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, said on 19 March 2020 that the directive to shut down all educational institutions was part of the country’s overall strategy to contain the spread of the covid-19 virus. Nigeria joined the growing list of countries in Africa which have closed institutions and universities. Before the official announcement by the permanent secretary, most universities and adult learning centres were already closed down.

            With the closure of institutions, adult learners were forced to remain closed until when the disease is curtailed. This development had serious effects on the adult learners’ socio-economic lives. This is because most of the adult learners had to fend for themselves by going out to engage themselves in one or two businesses in order to make ends meet. The adult learners have families to cater for and other responsibilities which comes with adulthood. With the outbreak of covid-19, their sources of income were put on hold, they could not afford the life the used to live, they cannot afford to buy gadgets to continue distant learning and other socio-economic challenges. It is in the light of this that this study seeks to assess the impact of covid-19 pandemic on socio-economic lives of adult learners in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

• Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to assess the effect of convid-19 pandemic on socio-economic lives of adult learners in Tafawa Belewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Other specific objectives of the study include:

1. To identify the effects of covid-19 pandemic the socio-economic lives of adult learners.
2. To determine the extent to which the adult learner is affected.
3. To suggest ways the adult learner can be improved amidst covid-19 pandemic.
4. To examine government involvement in curtailing the spread of the pandemic.
   • Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1. What are effects of covid-19 pandemic on the socio-economic livesof adult learners?
2. What are the extent to which the adult learner is affect?
3. What are the suggested ways the adult learner can be improved amidst covid-19 pandemic?
4. What is government involvement in curtailing the spread of the pandemic?
   • Research Hypotheses

The following hypothesis was raised in the course of the research:

H₀ Covid-19 pandemic has not affected the socio-economic lives of adult learners in Tafawa Belewa Local Government.

• Significance of the Study

The importance of this study cannot be underemphasized especially now that the education sector is battling with the covid-19 pandemic. The study shall be beneficial to the curriculum planners, government, parents, adult learners and the nation at large.

To the government, they will get to know the effects of covid-19 on education and therefore they will take measures to avert these effects in the future even if there is an outbreak of such pandemic next time.

The learners shall also benefit from the study as the measures taken by government and curriculum planners will aid in averting effects on education in the future. These measures will include the introduction of online lecturers and distant learning, enhancement of ICT facility in the educational institutions, etc.

The lecturers on their path will benefit from the study as they will be free to teach the learners and interact with them without fear of contracting the covid-19 virus.

Parents will also benefit from this study as they will also see the importance of governmental measures in curtaining the virus.

• Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms shall be used in the course of the research:

Education:Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, however learners can also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Covid-19: Coronavirus Disease is a contagious disease that first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019. It was later coded “COVID-19” by the W.H.O which stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019. The Coronavirus outbreak remains one of the worst global pandemics for decades. The mortality rate soared and the easy of spread was upsetting. Research shows that older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer were more likely to develop serious illnesses from coronavirus (W.H.O, 2020)

Pandemic: A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale. It is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance, multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people.

Education System: Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include teaching, training, storytelling, discussion and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators’ however learners can also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Adult Education: This is an education given to grown up people who are above the age of attending a conventional classroom. These set of people most of the time are already workers.

Socio-Economic: These are activities that affect and shape social processes.

Socio-Economic Life: is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others. When analyzing a family’s Status, the household income, earners’ education, and occupation are examined, as well as combined income, whereas for an individual’s Status only their own attributes are assessed. However, SES is more commonly used to depict an economic difference in society as a whole.

Adult Learners: These are learners in adult learning centres.