SCHOOL CLOSURES | Proteknôn Institute

Researching the Impact of School Closures on Children in Humanitarian Settings: A Multi-Country Study

UNICEF/Volpe

Participatory Research in Three Countries: Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lebanon

Research Reports

Children and Youth Outputs

Closure Timelines

This is a collaborative research project led by Proteknôn, on behalf of the Alliance, in partnership with the INEE. National implementing partners include BIFERD (DRC), CINDE (Colombia), and Dr. Bassel Akar (Lebanon). The project is generously funded by Porticus and UNICEF.

Phase 1: Secondary research and planning (2020)

Phase 2: Primary research, analysis, dissemination, and advocacy (2021-July 2022)

Phase 3: Global round tables (Fall 2022-March 2023)

Goal: To better ensure that children are at the centre of planning processes during infectious disease outbreaks.

Key Research Questions: In humanitarian and crisis contexts, how have school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic affected:

education inequalities?
child protection risk and protective factors?
adverse outcomes for children?

The research methods are qualitative and participatory to ensure that the findings are informed by the experiences and perspectives of children, their families, educators, and the social service workforce. They include: key informant interviews (global and national); workshops with children; focus groups with caregivers, educators, and members of the social service workforce; and semi-structured interviews with children.

The methodology is inclusive and rights based:

active inclusion of voices of those at the margins of society
gendered, intergeneration, child rights-based analysis
target of15% of research sample to be children/adults with range of disabilities

Research participants include:

Global and national key informants: 46
Children: 292
Parents: 105
Education and protection stakeholders: 178

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Phase 1 Report

Phase 2 Reports & Advocacy Briefs

Children's Key Messages

Research Reports

CYP Outputs

Art Gallery and Research Outputs by Children and Young People

Throughout this research project, we captured children's experiences and perspectives through the use of art!

Explore each gallery below by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side of the photo or by clicking on the photo itself to expand the gallery to entre full-screen and see the description in full.

Lebanon

Mohamad, Age 18, Lebanon

This is drawn by Mohamad, an 18-year-old Lebanese boy. He drew his daily timeline during school closures. Below, he drew himself and running from forces that enforce quarantine. He and his friends were slipping from the security forces to play in the football field. On the top left, he wrote the recommendations, “Let’s not study online next time. Let’s keep classes physical, with decreasing the number of attendees. Instead of thirty students, let’s keep it fifteen per class. Or, we can study online, but with providing the basic requirements for it.”

Body Mapping, Lebanon

Before Covid-19 (on the right side): Head: "We were going to school by bus, and teachers were explaining lessons properly to us. We understood our teachers properly because we were seeing them face-to-face."
Eye and ear: "We were seeing our friends, and were getting encouraged by interacting with them and teachers."
Belly and foot: "I was going out in picnics, visiting my uncle’s family, and eating ice cream."

During Covid-19: Head: "Attending classes on Zoom and WhatsApp. Teachers were giving us lessons, but we did not understand as we did in face-to-face classes. It was difficult because of unstable internet and electricity outage, in addition to other troubles at home."
Eye and ear: "I was seeing only the family, and getting discouraged by my mother and her continuous commands."
Belly and foot: "I was all the time at home and did not go out. I was eating at home and not moving, without any activities."

Hadeel, Age 14, Lebanon

This was drawn by Hadeel, a 14-year-old Syrian girl. This drawing depicts her daily routine. She drew herself washing her hands, insisting on following a proper hygiene routine during school closures.

Rabih, Age 14, Lebanon

This was drawn by Rabih, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy. The drawing depicts his daily timeline. He wrote “I recommend not to let sick children to come to school.” Earlier, he mentioned that before school closures, a lot of children came to the school and caused infections.

Garden of Life: Life During COVID-19, Primary School Child, Lebanon

Sun (people who support me): Father, mother, and siblings.
Sky (goal): A good grade at school.
Trees and swing (what makes me feel safe): Helping my mother at home, and when I am with my mother, helping elderly people, feels safe playing with friends.
Drawn people: Me and my friends.
Thorns (things that make me sad): Not seeing family, not playing with friends, not feeling safe.

Mira, Age 15, Lebanon

This is by Mira, a 15-year-old Lebanese girl. She drew the activities that she was doing during school closures. She included helping her mother with the housework, online classes, and wrote some recommendations and messages above. Her recommendations are: “Let’s wash our hands and keep wearing a mask next time. And if classes were online, we would need to contribute devices for children from poor families. Donating study equipment for those children also is necessary for them to continue their education.”

Ahmad, Age 15, Palestine

Ahmad, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy, wrote his daily routine. He also wrote that mothers should sit with children to assist them in online classes because most children can’t have a proper follow-up with online classes.

Group of Children and Youth, Lebanon

Each one of the children and youth drew their most repeated activity during Covid-19. Some of them were able to play with friends outside, despite the quarantine. Some of them drew how they adhered to Covid-19 avoidance guidelines.

Group of Children and Youth, Lebanon

In this flipchart, each child/adolescent wrote their daily routine during school closures. Then they reflected on them, and compared between them to see the similarities and differences. They realised that most of them spent the majority of time either playing mobile phone games, playing outside, or helping their parents with the housework. All of them agreed that they did not spend enough time with their families during school closures.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Girls and Boys aged 15 to 18-years-old, Rutshuru, DRC

This drawing is from our River Timeline Activity.

The timeline shows that before COVID-19, many of them went to school. During COVID-19, they did not study; they worked small jobs and some were recruited into armed groups. After COVID-19, only some children returned to school and others continued to work.

Adolescents, Age 15 to 18, DRC

This drawing depicts the situation of children during COVID-19 in the DRC.
"During COVID-19 we were very isolated. During COVID-19, many of us were forced to work difficult jobs."

Girls and Boys aged 15 to 18-years-old, Mweso, DRC

This drawing is from our Body Mapping Activity.

Before COVID-19: Children shared that they were encouraged by their parents to study, and they enjoyed seeing their friends and teachers at school. Students also played football and did schoolwork during the day, ate twice a day and went to church.

During COVID-19: Children shared that they spent all day at home and did not study. They saw girls become pregnant, heard about children joining armed groups, and did work in the fields to support their families. Daily life consisted of staying in the house, going to the field, or going to visit armed groups.

Adolescents, Age 15 to 18, DRC

This drawing depicts how in the DRC during COVID-19 when schools were closed, some young people became idle and drank alcohol because they were not studying.

Colombia

Flower of Support, 14 to 18-years-old, Coffee Region, Colombia

The Flower of Support was carried out with children 14 to 18 years in a participatory workshop to explore the level of support in their lives. Some of the questions to children and their answers are listed below.

What strengths should a child have to manage in the environment?
1. Respect
2. Kindness
3. Self-esteem

Who can help this child?
1. Parents
2. Friends
3. Teachers

What institutions can this child turn to for help?
1. The church
2. Hospitals
3. Schools

What are the necessary supports that a child must have in order to be well?
1. Love
2. Understanding
3. Motivation

What are the barriers that children have?
1. Lack of communication
2. Loneliness
3. Depression and Anxiety

Children with disabilities were more affected by the pandemic, because they have more needs.

The students expressed that everything written in the flower referring to the child is the most important thing in search of the welfare of all children.

Body Mapping Activity, Age 15 to 18-years-old, Usme, Colombia

Before COVID-19: Children shared that they were learning, had responsibilities, and communicated with each other easily. Students were healthy, did their homework, and played at the park. Boys and girls were treated equally, and there was food available at school.

During COVID-19: Children shared that they felt laziness and little motivation since they had to stay at home. There was more violence, people were fighting for food and working to survive. Children took care of their siblings, played video games, and slept. There was much less dialogue and communication during this time, and children felt scared, insecure, and emotionally unstable.

Colombia and Nicaragua

Photo Story, Ages 16 and 17-years-old, Colombia and Nicaragua

This Photo Story was made by youth in Latin America after the Round Table with Children and Young People in October 2022. The story depicts children’s experiences during the pandemic. In Colombia and Nicaragua, school closures and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted young people in Latin America in different ways. Young people expressed that there was very little physical activity, many virtual meetings, and less interaction with friends and relatives during the pandemic.

Photo Story, Ages 16 and 17-years-old, Colombia and Nicaragua

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Photo Story, Ages 16 and 17-years-old, Colombia and Nicaragua

This Photo Story was made by youth in Latin America after the Round Table with Children and Young People in October 2022. The story depicts students’ daily routines when schools re-opened after two years of closures and the realities of the pandemic continued. In Colombia and Nicaragua, students returned to a some-what “normal” daily routine and were able to go out with friends and family as they pleased.