How to bounce back from COVID-19 Disrupted Schooling: A Guide for Parents (1)

The education sector is one of the sectors severely ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, with schools and vocational learning centres across the country forced to shut down for almost six months to disrupt the rapid transmission of the virus.

Although the government’s directive on the closure of schools was to ensure the safety of lives, it had severe socio-economic and financial implications. It was not only the schools that were closed; businesses suddenly assumed a work-from-home arrangement, forcing parents to combine work with home-schooling for their kids.

The arrangement was challenging for both the parents and the children dealing with a makeshift daily routine without proper preparations. Despite the limitations, some parents took the responsibility to teach their children with inadequate or non-existent virtual learning tools. It was a gruelling six-month spell for both the parent and the learners. It was a period when schooling and learning took a disrupting turn for all.

With resumption came mixed feelings for the parents – relief and worry – relief that the children can go back to the regular learning system but worry about the health and financial demands (especially with the prevailing economic uncertainty) this would birth.

As school resumes for a new term, we have highlighted critical steps to guide parents to bounce back and prepare for resumption despite the health and financial realities.

1. Shield your kids from health-related issues.
Paying attention to your children’s health at this time should always be a priority for parents. Returning to school means back to more external activities beyond the classroom, interaction with classmates which means their immune system is being called to action more than expected. Ensure your kids take the needed immune boosters, Vitamin C, supplements, food rich in fibre and protein as they resume school.

The entire health system is presently volatile as more resources and attention have been primed towards fighting the pandemic. Exposing your kids to health issues that would lead to hospitalisation should be avoided at all costs. It is critical to understand that the kids should not be out of school now that they are readjusting to classroom learning.

2. Strengthen Virtual Learning Capabilities
The COVID-19 crisis has pushed the education systems worldwide to pivot to immersive remote learning. As a result, teachers and students have adopted online and virtual teaching and learning on an unprecedented scale.

This reality is the new normal that parents and their wards must now master. Seeing that more countries are experiencing the third wave of infection, parents should be psyched to adjust to another round of lockdowns without struggles.

You can do this by setting aside a designated station in your home, equipping it with a laptop or tablet, fast internet modem, and setting specific hours for virtual learning for the kids. In addition, allow your kids to learn computing and IT skills, including coding, software building, etc. These steps will give your kids a competitive edge in this ever-emerging digital world.

Read Also: FG rolls out basic education curriculum for out-of-school children

3. Shield your kid’s education from financial disruptions.
Planning for your child’s school fees might not entirely be an easy task as other critical financial demands might arise needing your attention. We recommend that you pay your child’s tuition fees in bulk – you can pay for an entire session. This step takes off the recurring worries for school fees every three months. You could also engage in a savings scheme, especially those with built-in insurance protection targeted at meeting your children’s educational obligations.

A very good example of these schemes is by Leadway Assurance, which comes in three (3) policies options targeted at protecting and securing your child’s future.

a. Leadway Education Savings Plan
This plan is built on the philosophy that a child’s future is what you make of it. So, by consciously having this flexible savings plan, you are guaranteed well-deserved assistance with your school fees responsibility while meeting payment deadlines becomes easy. With a minimum monthly premium of N20,000.00, the comfort to achieve your savings targets is made easy.

b. Leadway Education Protection Plan
This second policy option is not your usual savings plan. The Leadway Education Protection Plan is a comprehensive risk plan designed to guarantee the continuation of a child’s education if anything happens to the parent, guardian, or sponsor of the child’s education. With this policy, you need not worry about a halt or disruption in the child’s schooling, as you are assured payment of the child’s school fees for the remainder of the school terms.

c. Leadway Education Target Plan
This plan is specifically designed to meet the dual objective of saving towards a child’s education whilst also securing that child’s future. With this plan, a target amount can be set specifically to cater for your child’s education in the future, no matter what life throws your way. For instance, if a parent’s projection is for their child to study in a private secondary or tertiary institution in the future, to plan ahead especially because it doesn’t come cheap, the parent can set a target amount that they want to achieve within a specified duration. This plan helps such parents achieve this target at the set time easily. Even if life happens and the parent is no more, this target plan cushions the loopholes and ensures plans made are not altered.

What makes these plans even more dynamic is the life insurance component for the policyholder. The Leadway Assurance team understands that COVID-19 can affect just anyone for no fault of theirs. So, should the policyholder suddenly pass away or gets infected by a career-threatening critical illness or injury – during the policy term – a beneficiary will receive compensation or restitution. That is a solid arrangement for self and those you love.

To find out more, you can visit www.leadway.com or please call the Leadway Assurance customer care helpline on 01-2800-700. You can also send an email to [email protected] for professional advisory or request a call back by visiting www.leadway.com/call-me.

We are within your reach on our social media outlets – @LeadwayAssurance on Facebook & Instagram, @Leadwayinsure on Twitter. You can send a DM, and we would revert with all the information you require.