School children across the country have been detached from their teachers, classmates and peers for over 14 months since the beginning of the school closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most of the children, particularly the school children who live in the towns and cities, are now confined to their homes and residences, and the confinement could be dangerous for their mental and physical health.
According to many parents, a large number of kids are becoming habituated to the internet and other digital activities as a pastime and for entertainment in their residences. The school children have been forced into a limited socialisation in the residences as they also can’t visit others’ residences and mix with their playmates in apprehension of Covid-19 infection.
Zinat Rehana, a mother of a Class Ten student of T & T High School at Moghbazar in the capital, shared her experience of the impact of long-term school closure. “We wanted to go to our village home in Chandpur with my children, but could not go there due to Covid-19. However, we have not visited any other place for a long time due to the pandemic situation. My children are confined in the residence for over a year. We are worried about them,” she said.
She said since the closing of schools, most of the time her kids spend time at home playing on smartphones or watching TV programmes, or engaging in indoor activities.
Another woman of the Modhubag area said, “My two children study at a primary school. Since the closure of their school, they remain with mobile phones all the time. We are worried about their addiction to mobile phones.”
Another guardian of a school boy said that his son has lost interest in studying since his school closed, now he wakes up late and plays all day. Some other parents said that their children have become addicted to smartphones, internet and social platforms like Facebook which bring physical and physiological stress on the children.
The closure of all educational institutions in the country began on March 17 in 2020 after Bangladesh confirmed its first Covid-19 case on March 8. The long-term closure as well as the Covid-19 pandemic has created a great challenge for the school-going children, said child psychologists, social scientists and experts.
According to the experts, the lack of socialisation created for school closure following the Covid-19 spread in the country could impact a generation of kids. They said that socialisation is an important part of growing up, but the Covid-19 pandemic hits the socialisation process of children in particular. The children are deprived of an important socialisation step — peer-to-peer interaction.
Dr Fatema Rezina, a professor of the Department of Sociology of Dhaka University, said that the children are unable to socialise with other children as they have been pulled from schools and kept at their residences for a long time due to Covid-19 situation. For this reason, many children in Bangladesh may face physical and mental discomfort, particularly in the capital.
The children living in towns and cities face more challenges than rural children. Everyone needs social interaction to stay mentally strong, she added.
The DU professor, however, suggested that the parents now have to play a vital role so that their children could lead a disciplined life during the situation. There is no alternative to family. So, the parents and other family members should give them a sense of happiness such as enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner together. Parents need to address their children's emotional and mental challenges in helping to ensure their well-being and safety during this difficult time, she suggested.
Ishrat Sharmin Rahman, clinical psychologist at the National Trauma Counselling Centre under the Women and Children Affairs Ministry, said that parents of many children share their views with them that many children have been addicted to interment and technology. This type of addiction is increasing in the country. Many parents are anxious over excess use of the internet and social media by the school children.
The school children learn from their peers and get mental satisfaction from them. The pandemic puts socialisation on the back burner. The long-term impact is still unknown, she added.
Fouzia Akhter, a senior teacher at Sylhet Govt Pilot School, told Bangladesh Post on Wednesday that playing and socialisation are needed for every child. But the children, especially the children who live in towns, are confined in their residences for over a year. The long-term detachment of the children from the school environment will bring a negative impact on their mentality. However, many school children may leave study finally due to a long-term study gap, she said.
The school teacher said that students have been living an idle life. Everyone knows that ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ So, the students need to be engaged in constructive activities, otherwise they may engage in negative activities. Teachers can play an important role in this regard, she said.
