CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

COVID-19 was detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly as it severely affected all countries and territories across the world. At the time of carrying out this study, over 6 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 1,000000 deaths have been reported worldwide (Johns Hopkins University, 2020; WHO (2020). These statistics were incredibly staggering and made the pandemic a defining global health crisis of recent times. Health experts indicated that the disease does not discriminate against people irrespective of age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, or other social markers (WHO, 2020). However, children, older adults, low-income families, indigenous people, and people with underlying chronic or immune diseases are considered more vulnerable to this pandemic (WHO, 2020).

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Coronaviruses are zoonotic viruses that cause moderate respiratory tract infections as well as lethal pneumonia in humans, according to researchers. (Su, S., Wong, G., and others, 2016)   Human coronaviruses (HCoV) were first discovered in the noses of patients with the common cold in the 1960s (Felman A 2020). The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention identified seven coronaviruses that can affect people as: 229E (alpha coronavirus), NL63 (alpha coronavirus), OC43 (beta coronavirus), HKU1 (beta coronavirus), MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome), SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome) and SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19).

Sociologically, the pandemic has caused global academic disruption by limiting global social relations. The idea of "social distancing" negates regular social interaction. The general lockdown of academic institutes imposed a huge challenge on schools as the educational calendar was disrupted and students' academic performance dropped (Amzat and Razum, 2014). Most governments around the world temporarily closed schools in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the imposed numerous preventive measures, and the invention of vaccines has to an impressive extent eased the spread of the virus, thereby resulting in the reopening of schools and many other organizations. While COVID-19 still lingers in society, it is important that schools take effective action to ensure students' compliance with the all paramount preventive measures to prevent further transmission, reduce the impact of the outbreak and support control measures.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The spread of Covid-19 may take a second wave if adequate compliance with the established preventive measures, most importantly among school children. Most schools in Nigeria are overcrowded, which is compounded by the fact that schoolchildren are merely children and adolescents with a relatively low sense of understanding, and many of them behave completely lackadaisically based on their level of comprehension.Therefore, they may fall out of instruction without adequate supervision by guidance, hence ensuring their regular and constant in-school compliance to covid-19 safety measures is food for thought, as managing school children is always complex in nature. Therefore, it is upon this background that this study is aimed at examining the role of proprietors and administrators in ensuring strict compliance to Covid-19 safety measures among students.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study aims at examining the role of proprietors and administrators in ensuring strict compliance with Covid-19 safety measures among students. To achieve this, the following objectives emerged:

1. Examine the extent to which school children adhere to Covid-19 measures in the absence of supervision.

2. Examine the impact of school proprietors' supervisory role on the compliance level of students to Covid-19 preventive measures.

3. Determine the extent to which teachers contribute to ensuring students' compliance to Covid-19 safety precautions.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.What is the extent to which school children adhere to Covid-19 safety measures in the absence of supervision?

2. What is the impact of school proprietors' supervisory role on the compliance level of students to Covid-19 preventive measures?

3. To what extent do teachers contribute to ensuring students' compliance to Covid-19 safety precautions?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will apprise school authorities, parents and the government more of the dangers involved when Covid-19 safety rules and precautionary measures are not mandatory and constantly adhered to by school children. However, the recommendations contained in the study will help relieve the challenge when adequately applied. Notably, this study will be of great interest to researchers, teachers, students, and other astute academics who, in their spare time, may conduct research on a similar topic.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study covers an examination of the role of proprietors and administrators in ensuring strict compliance to Covid-19 safety measures among students. However, the scope of this study expands to investigate the extent to which schoolchildren adhere to Covid-19 measures in the absence of supervision; investigating the impact of school proprietors' supervisory role on the level of student compliance to Covid-19 preventive measures; and determining the extent to which teachers contribute to ensuring students' compliance to Covid-19 safety precautions. This study is delimited to selected primary schools in Adavi Local Government, Kogi State.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher encountered some constraints while conducting this study which includes time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the respondents' attitudes.

1.8  DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Covid-19: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. 'CO' stands for corona, 'VI' for virus, and 'D' for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as '2019 novel coronavirus' or '2019-nCoV’.

Safety Measure: This is a measure taken to increase or ensure safety or protection from danger

Compliance: This is the adherence to established safety measures.

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