Reopening Readiness
As the pandemic brought the world to a halt, most governments around the world temporarily shut down learning institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19. There after, many launched online and distant learning programs to fill in the void created by the shutdown of the learning institutions.
That was about six months ago and much water has gone under the bridge since. A lot too has emerged concerning the Novel Virus and measures developed on how we are going to live with the virus but avoid getting infected. This still as we all hope and await the promise of a vaccine to keep the virus at bay. Meanwhile, seeing that life must go on ;albeit in the ‘now normal' governments world over are beginning to plan for recovery and reopening of economies as well learning institutions. However, concerning schools, this is a phase that involves much more than reopening the gates and readmitting learners back to teaching and learning processes.
Worth noting is the fact that as the preparations to reopen are ongoing, there may be opportunities for governments to improve practices and “build back better,” practices than what we had before the pandemic. However,very important decisions are being made under extreme uncertainty and may have several far reaching ramifications. In such a context, education policymaking is particularly difficult especially because of the huge numbers of stakeholders involved.
To overcome the above challenge, a workable approach may be one that is able to be adapted based on new data and information gained from evidence based collaborative efforts of all parties involved.
Policymakers should consider the following points that draw on evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic to formulate recommendations on five critical perspectives of school reopening and recovery:
• Communities engagement in reopening plans.
• Allocating and targeting resources to where they are most required.
• Preparing and getting children back to school.
• Enhancing schools' environment safety.
• Working on recovering learning time lost and “building back better."
The above points should go hand in hand with an effective COVID-19 tracker system, which is to provide up-to-date information on each institution’s response and reopening plans. It should also be noted that a lot data and information on reopening of schools is already in existence. Several global organizations for instance the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF, Education International, the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies, and the World Food Programme have already released comprehensive guidance on education policy responses to COVID-19 and effective frameworks for school reopening. Our own policy makers may therefore borrow a leaf from such documents and align the information to our own situation. There is still a lot to learn about the impacts of each country’s education policy response to COVID-19;and it may be too early to speculate on the effectiveness of different choices, or their potential in different contexts.
To realize a successful reopening of schools, it is therefore highly important to productively engage all stakeholders and build the trust needed to design and implement effective reopening plans. As such, policymakers should:
• Make all stakeholders a priority early enough so as to build trust, shape perceptions and improve responses to government policy.
• Share clear and consistent messaging through multiple channels to reach all groups and to match local resources and norms.
Having said that,it is important to insist on the fact that successful reopening and recovery relies on public trust in the government of the day and its apparatus . Trust can be built and maintained by engaging communities in planning for reopening and by clearly communicating through credible channels. Policymakers will want access to evidence that supports their planning and decision making. The government needs to decide how to engage community members in reopening plans and implementation; what, when, and how often information should be shared with all stakeholders; and with whom and through which channels to communicate.
It should also be worth noting that leveraging on community involvement to build trust will play a vital role in facilitating the reopening process and in shaping public perceptions of the state over the long term. For the education sector in particular, engaging teachers and teachers’ unions, school based management committees and other parent organizations throughout can increase the relevance of plans and compliance with government interventions as schools reopen.
That was about six months ago and much water has gone under the bridge since. A lot too has emerged concerning the Novel Virus and measures developed on how we are going to live with the virus but avoid getting infected. This still as we all hope and await the promise of a vaccine to keep the virus at bay. Meanwhile, seeing that life must go on ;albeit in the ‘now normal' governments world over are beginning to plan for recovery and reopening of economies as well learning institutions. However, concerning schools, this is a phase that involves much more than reopening the gates and readmitting learners back to teaching and learning processes.
Worth noting is the fact that as the preparations to reopen are ongoing, there may be opportunities for governments to improve practices and “build back better,” practices than what we had before the pandemic. However,very important decisions are being made under extreme uncertainty and may have several far reaching ramifications. In such a context, education policymaking is particularly difficult especially because of the huge numbers of stakeholders involved.
To overcome the above challenge, a workable approach may be one that is able to be adapted based on new data and information gained from evidence based collaborative efforts of all parties involved.
Policymakers should consider the following points that draw on evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic to formulate recommendations on five critical perspectives of school reopening and recovery:
• Communities engagement in reopening plans.
• Allocating and targeting resources to where they are most required.
• Preparing and getting children back to school.
• Enhancing schools' environment safety.
• Working on recovering learning time lost and “building back better."
The above points should go hand in hand with an effective COVID-19 tracker system, which is to provide up-to-date information on each institution’s response and reopening plans. It should also be noted that a lot data and information on reopening of schools is already in existence. Several global organizations for instance the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF, Education International, the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies, and the World Food Programme have already released comprehensive guidance on education policy responses to COVID-19 and effective frameworks for school reopening. Our own policy makers may therefore borrow a leaf from such documents and align the information to our own situation. There is still a lot to learn about the impacts of each country’s education policy response to COVID-19;and it may be too early to speculate on the effectiveness of different choices, or their potential in different contexts.
To realize a successful reopening of schools, it is therefore highly important to productively engage all stakeholders and build the trust needed to design and implement effective reopening plans. As such, policymakers should:
• Make all stakeholders a priority early enough so as to build trust, shape perceptions and improve responses to government policy.
• Share clear and consistent messaging through multiple channels to reach all groups and to match local resources and norms.
Having said that,it is important to insist on the fact that successful reopening and recovery relies on public trust in the government of the day and its apparatus . Trust can be built and maintained by engaging communities in planning for reopening and by clearly communicating through credible channels. Policymakers will want access to evidence that supports their planning and decision making. The government needs to decide how to engage community members in reopening plans and implementation; what, when, and how often information should be shared with all stakeholders; and with whom and through which channels to communicate.
It should also be worth noting that leveraging on community involvement to build trust will play a vital role in facilitating the reopening process and in shaping public perceptions of the state over the long term. For the education sector in particular, engaging teachers and teachers’ unions, school based management committees and other parent organizations throughout can increase the relevance of plans and compliance with government interventions as schools reopen.
Schools should move quickly to establish regular communication channels and messages focused on facts that can help manage fear as well as facilitate school reopening. Such information is best shared using sources judged credible by all stakeholders. In the wake of COVID-19, we have seen the Cabinet Secretary ministry of education try to combat misinformation campaigns during press conferences .This has emerged to be more of fire fighting than giving out the right information hence creates confusion. Several initiatives should have begun by now to gather data that may be used to monitor reopening. As the crisis shifts from response to reopening, these data can be used to inform policy responses aimed at mitigating impacts on schooling and may be used to evaluate and adjust approaches. Including local communities in decisions about what is monitored as schools reopen, and how, could have long-term impacts on school participation and achievement.
Hexcellent work mum
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