[/b]7 WAYS CORONA VIRUS WILL AFFECT YOUR SCHOOL FOR EVER![b]
The sudden emergence of Corona-virus has one unique feature-No one was prepared for it, not even our so called ‘men of God.’ Once again, God showed His unique and unparalleled supremacy! Whoever with the benefit of hindsight is trying to vicariously link a past speculation to the emergence of Covid -19, is only trying to play a smart one.

Now the pandemic has been with us and it appears to have come to stay, so how can we as school owners adjust to this reality? These are the 7 ways this scourge will affect your school either positively or negatively. It all depends on your perception and attitude. This knowledge is important because knowing and applying it will determine whether your school will survive or not.

1.IF IT CAN HAPPEN ,THEN FOR THE WISE IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN!-There are two ways we react or respond to issues especially a tragic one- ‘Oh thank God it happened once and may it never happen again in Jesus name, then we go to sleep! The other response from a wiseman is that if it can happen , then there is a possibility of it happening again, so how do I prepare myself for it?



This would make a huge difference in how every school owner would respond to this pandemic. Nature has a way of preparing us with a warning for every situation. A husband that would eventually be caught by his wife in infidelity would have had a close slip in the past. When Ebola appeared in 2014, it was a warning to make all of us sit -up and prepare for the current reality, but nobody paid any attention then .

This is the reality now and it can happen again, even in a more serious dimension and proportion, so BE PREPARED as the Boys Scout motto would say!

Please don’t see me as a pessimist. It is just the way the world rolls. Create a computer system and follow it up with an anti-virus. Coronavirus has created its lucrative industry and other models would definitely follow which can be unleashed at anytime !

2.ANOTHER STREAM OF INCOME-This is not only applicable to schools but to virtually all of us. There is this thing in everyman that makes us not want to tax ourselves until we are faced with adversity. There are many opportunities open to many schools and school owners that have not been explored. We are so much many times buried in the 7- 4 routine of school administration that we don’t leave any mental space to think of other opportunities .

We used to have this joke when I used to teach that because we had spent all our years with children, we were literally behaving like them! If we tell ourselves there are no opportunities, then there are no opportunities, but it is obvious there are many opportunities that many of us as school owners have not fully explored. It could be within the school space or something totally outside running a school.

When we were growing up, there was a school called Comprehensive College in Ikere-Ekiti, where the Principal ,Chief Jegede made his school then, such self-sustaining in all areas that it earned him a national honour (MON) from the Nigerian Head of State.

So take a look around, what do you have that is constituting a leak or just not being utilized to earn extra income?

3. MANY SCHOOLS WILL GO UNDER- This is not an apocalyptic statement. Many schools will go down after this Covid 19 pandemic! It is true because a lot of schools lack sound footing in terms of their vision, sustainability and other survival indices. If you are observant, you would have noticed that many schools are already selling their buses, while many after a month were unable to pay their staff salary. One question nobody has not been able to give an accurate answer is, if a school has been running successfully and profitably for at least 4 years, what should stop it from being able to stay afloat cash-wise for at least for 6 months? This period is truly a litmus-test of how solid your school is!

4. THOSE THAT INNOVATE WILL WAX STRONGER AND WILL SURVIVE THE STORM- One’s strength is not in the training or lecture room, but when faced with the reality of adversity. Schools that are open-minded enough and with the attendant resources would benefit hugely from this scourge. Any problem or challenge always engenders its on attendant solution and this only comes through creativity. I won’t deceive you, this pandemic has yielded and will continue to yield new and interesting opportunities,but would only be perceived,harvested and utilized by the few creative ones.


5. THE POWER OF VIRTUAL LEARNING-[/b]Some 6 years ago I wrote a proposal for the school I was working for then in the aftermath of the Ebola that we build a mini-studio where we could record lectures and virtually transmit them.(I actually spearheaded the committee for virtual learning then). The proposal was ignored then because of the cost implication. Without mincing words, this is what a wise school should do. On resumption, establish a separate department to be in charge of learning-Infact make virtual learning an integral part of learning- at least 20% for now. The current scenario is a precursor of future learning, where it is taken outside the four walls of the classroom. There are even more unusual learning innovations that many schools in Africa may not be ready for, but this would do for now! It is my hope that this pandemic will wake us up to the reality of the future which is already here!


[b]6. .THE CURRICULUM ANGLE-I have a unique advantage which I am always proud to boast about and it is that I have my legs stretched over two worlds- The traditional world of the 80’s / 90’s and the current dispensation. I am also a keen observer of how much of learning has really impacted me both as a student and a teacher .After my over 20 years of observation and research in this area I have come to the realization that curriculum,which is the system of what we teach our children should be as fluid as possible, taking cognizance of our ever-changing realities. While it is good to have a standard curriculum where the traditional subjects are taught,it is also important to prepare every child for that subject that is yet to be invented. In view of this,every child must be imbued with underlying principles that cross every field such that they are applicable and independently usable. The suddenness of Covid 19 should teach any

discerning person that no one can say specifically –this is the skill-set our children would need in future!


7.COST –CUTTING- Inevitably, you will have to cut cost. For now take a critical look at your current projects and pick out the one you are suspending. There are also some projects that are not so germane to the survival of your school, so let them go. The bulk of the school income goes into the salary ,this I know, so what can you do? Don’t be quick to sack your teachers, but find a way round it. If your school has the buffer and can sustain it, continue paying your teacher their full salary until hopefully when things get back to normal. If however you are not so buoyant, have a chat with your teachers for a pay-cut until things improve financially for your school. Afterall ,half bread is better than none. Dont forget ,your teachers and staff are your greatest assets and if they would be reasonable to stay with you during this trying time, it is a good thing,but don’t forget when things get better in future,remember these set of staff!


SO WHAT DO I DO NOW? –Use this period to plan ahead as minutely as possible on how your school would run on resumption which could be anytime from now,so that when schools resume, you won’t be caught napping and you can hit the ground running. It is always better to have a plan written down than not having any plan at all. You can have virtual brainstorming sessions with your management team on the way forward. Don’t forget, you are as good as your preparation!

Kunle Abrahams
Educational Strategist
Kunleabrahams046@gmail.com