Abstract:

Learning is at the center of teaching to the extent that educational policy planners and all stakeholders should focus on ensuring all strategies are put into place for learning to take place in all circumstances. Yet, the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted all spheres of life in the world including the education sector. Tanzania like other countries had to close its educational institutions around March 2020 following the acute outbreak of the pandemic. Primary school pupils are amongst the majority of the learners who were affected as they had to be home-schooled in taking measures to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Moreover, the fact that the closure of schools took place abruptly and the population at large was unaware so it was therefore unprepared to undertake homeschooling. Many parents faced challenges on how to support children learning while they were at home and in some cases, parents could not support their children’s learning at all. This research project therefore, was conducted as an intervention in emergency response to the covid-19 crisis by the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (AKU-IED, EA) and the main purpose was to explore the conditions under which home learning took place during COVID 19 school closure and secondly to explore the impact or effect of an intervention project. The study employed a mixed method research approach using pre- and post-intervention surveys and interviews. The study sample was selected randomly from five districts of Lindi region, southern Tanzania, 10 schools were involved whereby two schools per district were selected. Data were collected from parents (grade one, two and three parents), head teachers, teachers (grade one, two and three teachers), discipline master/mistress and the teacher in charge of gender. Overall, it was noted that the AKU-IED EA’s interventions had a significant impact on the conditions of the children’s learning within the school environment. In the case of beyond the school environment, there was a significant increase in the knowledge of providing home learning among parents after the intervention. Based on the study findings it is recommended that policy planners and educational curriculum developers should design a system that incorporates the management of emergency issues that can interfere with the formal learning system. Additionally, awareness should be raised on the best ways the community can be involved in pupils learning.

Keywords:

Community involvement, Covid-19, Emergency Response Intervention, and Pupils’ learning.