Phenomenology of COVID-19 and School Preparedness for Emergency Management in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study determined the level of school preparedness for emergency management in Osun State, Nigeria. It also examined the dimension of school preparedness for emergency management based on school ownership and identified the challenges militating against the effective emergency management in the state. The study sample consisted of 30 head-teachers and 150 teachers of primary schools in the state. With the use of a questionnaire on emergency preparedness for data collection, it was found that there was there was a slightly better level (51.1%) of emergency preparedness in public primary schools compared to private (48.9%). However, common challenges militating against effective emergency management were “inadequate facilities (RSI = 0.732),” “limited financial resources (RSI = 0.729),” and “lack of emergency management plan (RSI = 0.707).” The study concluded that efforts of school ownerships for the management of emergency such as COVID-19 are still lingering. Proactive policy frameworks and full implementation of emergency management are recommended for education policymakers.