Unveiling Education in Secondary Schools in Nigeria: Navigating the Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The challenges faced by secondary education in Nigeria amid the COVID-19 pandemic were multifaceted particularly, by school closures that came with a heightened risk of students being deprived of adequate learning, especially when many schools were with little or no access to online resources. Nevertheless, issues such as limited access to technology, unequal distribution of resources, and disruptions to traditional teaching methods during the pandemic have significantly impacted both teachers and students from different backgrounds. In addition to this, the digital divide aggravates disparities in educational opportunities, stressing the need for inclusive strategies such as adapting to a new kind of remote learning to contest the pandemic that posed a lot of difficulty for secondary schools without reliable internet connectivity. Although, addressing these challenges required a concerted effort to bridge the digital divide by providing training for teachers on effective online teaching strategies, and to ensure that all secondary school students have access to quality education regardless of their socio-economic background. This work, therefore, offers a pragmatic direction to teachers, teacher trainers, policy makers, and government at all levels to manage the consequences of disruption in educational systems. It also suggests more effective solutions such as investments in technology infrastructure, teacher training for online instructions, and policies to promote equitable access to secondary education in the face of uncertainty. Moreover, collaborative efforts between government, educators, and communities are crucial for navigating these challenges and to ensure a resilient secondary education system in the kind of COVID-19 pandemic.