Chidhanguro, Dzivaidzo

Impact of COVID-19 on schooling in rural Zimbabwe

By Mazhanga, Clever

The indirect effects of COVID‐19 on children's education, health, and well‐being due to school closures have raised concerns, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) (Armitage & Nellums, 2020; Coker et al., 2021; Zar, Dawa, Fischer, & Castro‐Rodriguez, 2020). In LMICs, children may not have equitable access to distance learning; indeed, the poorest children are likely to suffer most, including reduced nutritional intake without access to school meals (Coker et al., 2021). As lockdown cycles continue globally, alternative methods of supporting children's education become ever more urgent (Coker et al., 2021). Although some opportunities for learning have been conceived, such as radio programmes, there has been little direct measurement of household‐level education during lockdowns in rural sub‐Saharan Africa.