Covid-19 and school closure: Examining the impact on private mid-range and low-fee private basic schools in Ghana.
Published version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Abstract
The Covid-19 lockdown implemented globally to prevent the spread of the virus has led to the closure of schools. However, insight into the impact of the lockdown on private schools and the responses it has elicited is limited, especially across the African continent. This article examines the impact of the lockdown on private basic schools in Ghana and how they responded to the closure. Following "organizational ambidexterity" and qualitative interviews with nine proprietors of private schools in Ghana, the study found that the schools' closure had a negative impact on private basic schools in five crucial ways: disruption to teaching and learning, difficulty in retrieving unpaid teaching fees, inability to pay staff salaries and statutory payments, underutilization of existing assets, and the cost of storing unused stock. The article offers suggestions to the government to support private schools that are broadening educational access at thin profit margins.
Description
Keywords
Journal Title
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1573-9090