Exploring primary caregivers’ perceptions of children’s wellbeing during covid-19 within a low socioeconomic school context in the Cape Metropole

The COVID-19 pandemic produced threatening and chaotic environments for children, thus heightening their vulnerability to its effects and on their overall wellbeing. Surveys across the world indicated that primary caregivers noticed COVID-19 lockdown-related behavioural problems in their children. Evidence from the literature indicated that COVID-19 prevention measures coupled with disrupted schooling for children, economic burdens for primary caregivers, and interrupted social life has generated a multitude of health challenges for many, including children. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) such as South Africa, environmental security and safety already poses schooling challenges. Furthermore, within pandemic conditions, adequate environments conducive to remote learning was impossible due to the scarcity of digital learning resources caused by the inequity of resource distribution. Against this backdrop and adopting Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this research aimed to explore primary caregivers’ perceptions of children’s wellbeing during COVID-19 within a low socio-economic status (SES) school context in the Cape Metropolitan city, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Using an exploratory qualitative design, the research aimed to explore children's socio-economic status and school context as variables for their wellbeing which would add more information to an otherwise limited research pool. Eight purposively selected primary caregivers of school-age children in the age of 6-11 years and in the Foundation Phase attending a low SES school, participated in semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis was employed to generate codes and formulate themes.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of the Western Cape

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Tafaranazvo, Sihle

• Children’s wellbeing
• Child
• Primary caregivers
• Low socio-economic status
• School context

Licence

• https://uwcscholar.uwc.ac.za/bitstreams/3b2c89c9-0a8a-47b3-94cf-5e8586324484/download