Learning Beyond Lockdown: Understanding Marginalized Adolescents School Retention in Kenya Post COVID-19

• In Event: Adolescents’ Learning During COVID-19: Lessons Learnt in the Utilization of Technology during Emergencies

Proposal

The COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching implications for education systems worldwide. This education disruption had both short- and longer-term effects. In Kenya, schools were closed for nearly 10 months at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing significant disruption to the academic calendar, programs, and term times. This in turn impacted the learning process and limited students’ access to quality education while exacerbating existing inequalities. For example, marginalized adolescents such as those from low-income households, rural and remote areas, and vulnerable communities, faced greater challenges in continuing their education during the school closures. This was exacerbated by limited access to technology, lack of internet connectivity, and poor access to mainstream media which sometimes offered educational programs. School drop-out was among the more immediate effects of COVID-19 school closures.

Studies have documented several factors that were associated with school dropout during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic including extended school closures and increased household economic stress. However, the longer-term implications, particularly for marginalized adolescents, require further investigation. This study aimed to contribute to addressing this gap in knowledge by exploring the factors associated with school retention among marginalized adolescents, two years after the onset of the pandemic. Employing a combination of bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, this study systematically examined the various factors influencing adolescents' ability to stay enrolled in school post-COVID-19 school closures. Among the factors examined were access to the internet during the pandemic, and involvement in income-generating activities. Findings showed that earning income was significantly associated with low school retention for both female and male adolescents. However, internet access was negatively associated with school retention post-COVID-19 school closures. Female adolescents with internet access were less likely to be retained in school (aOR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.71). The results revealed that internet access was associated with a 56% decrease in the odds of an adolescent girl being retained in school. The results suggest a gender-specific association between internet access and school retention after COVID-19 school closures.

These results seem to suggest that internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic did not translate to school retention among marginalized female adolescents in Kenya. This study unveils that adolescent girls are more likely to face negative unintended consequences while accessing the internet as compared to boys. This gender-specific discrepancy in digital literacy, coupled with the potential presence of distractors or negative online influences may have significantly hampered the quality of engagement that adolescent girls experienced during the pandemic. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing gender-specific barriers to effective online learning. The study recommends supporting female adolescents in marginalized communities by offering practical skills on focused online learning platforms and guiding them on accessing appropriate educational materials. This can be potentially done by establishing local learning centers equipped with internet access to serve as hubs for hands-on training, providing a dedicated space for female adolescents to enhance their digital capabilities and access quality educational content.

Author

• Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa, Population Council - Kenya