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“Just Standing Still”: A Qualitative Study on Adolescents’ Experiences of School Closures Due to Emerging COVID-19 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

Author

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  • Fatou N’dure Baboudóttir

    (Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Zeca Jandi

    (National Institute for Studies and Research (INEP), Avenida dos Combatentes da Liberdade da Pátria, Complexo Escolar 14 de Novembro, Bissau CP 112, Guinea-Bissau)

  • Bucar Indjai

    (National Institute for Studies and Research (INEP), Avenida dos Combatentes da Liberdade da Pátria, Complexo Escolar 14 de Novembro, Bissau CP 112, Guinea-Bissau)

  • Jónína Einarsdóttir

    (Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Geir Gunnlaugsson

    (Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of children in a myriad of ways across the world. It exposed and aggravated existing inequalities between children within countries and across continents and hampered education. In Guinea-Bissau, school closure was one of the first restrictions implemented to confront the emerging pandemic. The aim was to describe and analyse the experiences of adolescents of school closures in the capital Bissau, their concerns about their future and manifestations of inequality. Data were collected by semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 30 adolescents aged 15–17 years three months into the pandemic during an enforced state of emergency. A thematic analysis identified five themes: appreciation of education, feeling left behind, being stuck in confinement, suggestions for support, and a disrupted future. The results highlight global rather than local inequalities in the demographic, manifested by a lack of targeted educational support for public and private school students; they knew about such efforts elsewhere. The school-attending participants suggested ways to mitigate disruptions in their education, while those out of school aiming to return saw their possibilities fading away. They appreciated education for personal and national benefits, and participants worried about the long-term effects of the pandemic. The study highlighted education loss for all and disrupted future expectations.

Suggested Citation

  • Fatou N’dure Baboudóttir & Zeca Jandi & Bucar Indjai & Jónína Einarsdóttir & Geir Gunnlaugsson, 2023. "“Just Standing Still”: A Qualitative Study on Adolescents’ Experiences of School Closures Due to Emerging COVID-19 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5265-:d:1108044
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peter Boone & Ila Fazzio & Kameshwari Jandhyala & Chitra Jayanty & Gangadhar Jayanty & Simon Johnson & Vimala Ramachandran & Filipa Silva & Zhaoguo Zhan, 2014. "The Surprisingly Dire Situation of Children's Education in Rural West Africa: Results from the CREO Study in Guinea-Bissau (Comprehensive Review of Education Outcomes)," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume II: Human Capital, pages 255-280, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lucia Rabello de Castro, 2021. "Decolonising child studies: development and globalism as orientalist perspectives," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(11), pages 2487-2504, November.
    3. Geir Gunnlaugsson & Thomas Andrew Whitehead & Fatou N’dure Baboudóttir & Aladje Baldé & Zeca Jandi & Hamadou Boiro & Jónína Einarsdóttir, 2020. "Use of Digital Technology among Adolescents Attending Schools in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Tatek Abebe, 2019. "Reconceptualising Children’s Agency as Continuum and Interdependence," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-16, March.
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