| dc.description.abstract | COVID-19 remains one of the deadliest pandemics in the world today. Therefore, with such a background, concerted efforts are required from everyone to collectively wipe it out in our communities, children inclusive. The primary school-going children have reported to have diverse perceptions towards this pandemic in relation to its causes, effects, signs and symptoms, realities, myths and their general understanding of the disease. This study aimed at assessing and understanding the experiences of primary school-going children during the COVID- 19 lockdowns with three specific objectives of identifying the perceptions of primary school-going children towards the causes and effects of COVID-19, examining the myths and realities of COVID-19 by these children and the factors that influenced these perceptions.
The study adopted a descriptive research design and was purely qualitative. Data were collected from 30 primary school-going children both girls and boys and 5 primary school teachers. The study identified that children’s perceptions were influenced by the media, parents, siblings, fellow children, community members and their locus of control. A few knew little about the causes of the disease but the biggest proportion reported that those who got infected were partly to blame because they never followed SOPs. Then many declared that the pandemic affected them negatively with their education, mental health, violence at home, loss of loved ones and so much more about the subject.
The study recommends the government of Uganda under its Ministry of Health to always come up with a program on how special groups’ views such as those of young children can be incorporated in the different fights of especially pandemics, or any other relevant issue appropriate for them because they affect such groups/children too. | en_US |
