Abstract:

COVID-19 produced threatening and chaotic environments for children culminating in their vulnerability to its effects on their wellbeing. Surveys across the world indicated that primary caregivers noticed COVID-19 lockdown-related behavioural problems in their children. Evidence from the literature indicated that COVID-19 prevention measures coupled with disrupted schooling for children, economic burdens for primary caregivers, and interrupted social life has generated a multitude of health challenges for many including children. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) such as South Africa environmental security and safety can make schooling challenging. Furthermore, adequate environments conducive to remote learning due to the scarcity of digital learning resources was impossible due to inequity of resource distribution. Against this backdrop and adopting Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this research explored primary caregivers’ perceptions of children’s wellbeing during COVID-19 within a low socio-economic status (SES) school context in South Africa. Using an exploratory qualitative design, the research aimed to explore children's socio-economic status and school context as variables for their wellbeing which would add more information to an otherwise limited research pool. Eight primary caregivers with school-age children from 6 -9 years attending a low SES school participated in a semi-structured interview. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis was employed to generate codes and formulate themes. Key findings included that COVID-19 increased existing health/educational services barriers and the pandemic presented challenges on children's educational, cognitive, and physical wellbeing as well as children's livelihood/security. While this research provided a snapshot into the school contexts’ resources and needs to promote children’s wellbeing during a pandemic and beyond it also provided a unique perspective on primary caregivers’ experiences of their children’s well-being. Key lessons learned was that collaboration, constant monitoring, and accountability of all role players in a school need to be fostered to ensure inclusive and equitable developments to minimize educational disruption in low SES school contexts during pandemic conditions.

Keywords:

Children’s wellbeing, child, perceptions, primary caregivers, low socio-economic status, school context, COVID-19.