Covid-19 Through The Perspectives Of Children & Youth

By Hiruni Jayaratne –JULY 3, 2020

Hiruni Jayaratne

“This is the greatest test that we have faced since the formation of the United Nations” ~ (UN Secretary-General, United Nations)[1]

A coronavirus was subsequently identified as the pathogen and was temporarily named the 2019 new coronavirus. The pandemic is moving like a wave-one that may yet crash on those least able to cope. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. According to the World Health Organization, this virus can be characterized as a pandemic and it originates in Wuhan as an epidemic and dramatically converted into a pandemic. This new virus spreads to every continent around the world except Antarctica. 

Under the visionary and able leadership of the President of Sri Lanka, government was meaningful in controlling this pandemic successfully. Active involvement of health and defence professionals while adapting strategies resulted to mortality rates being considerably lower than other countries.

Children and COVID-19

Children are the most precious assets of the country. They will be tomorrow’s youth and future leaders. They were high risk and became victims of this pandemic. This is a universal crisis for all children and the impact will be lifelong. All children, of all ages and in all countries are being affected, both directly and  indirectly. However mortality rates of children and youth due to this virus were considerably low but they faced many issues during this pandemic.

According to UN Secretary-General three specific dimensions of children are most likely to be negatively and positively impacted by COVID-19.

* Local and Foreign Education

* Food

* Health and Security

Advantages

This pandemic has hit on children’s lives indirectly and it has massively disrupted educational pathways for children. Education must be a top priority in society. But due to this pandemic, access to education has become much harder to process, but critically important to ensure no child losses the opportunity to fulfill their potentials. Ministry of Education started online-learning programmes for schools since three months and as a result –the traditional way of learning tutorials and teaching sessions have been converted to an alternative learning method. Some are debating that a relatively brief period out of school may have a, lasting negative impact on children. The more serious concern is that when schools close for such a long period, many children will begin to forget what they already know. But through the online sessions children tend to be more independent and self-learning than before. As a result of this new lifestyle, children are more creative and innovative. Here are some examples of new creations by children around the world.

Children draw silly faces on empty egg shells, fill them with soggy cotton wool balls and add the cress seeds.

Ronnie with his robot Silver EFox (Image: Manchester Evening News)

Children used boxes, bottles, tubes, or whatever that is found to suit their imagination  at home and to make their very own robot

Milk bottle elephants by recycled plastic milk bottles 

During this period the parental care has been more than ever before and they act as teachers as well. Love and affection from parents are considered important during this pandemic. Children are now adapting to this new life and engaging with the self-exercising, planting, painting, singing, cooking and other curricular activities during their leisure. A new TV channel aimed for school children has been initiated and this could be a safe way for opening fulltime education in the future.  

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