The island never recovered since the 19th of March 2020, when the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, announced the national lockdown due to three cases of Covid-19 in Mauritius. At that time, no one expected the situation to become as desperate especially not with the strict sanitary measures undertaken to ensure our safety. It is undeniable that every single Mauritian was directly affected by the confinement. Ironically, among the age groups the most negatively impacted by the pandemic, we find the students, from ages of 8-18. Despite being the fittest ones against the disease, they were found to be the most miserable.
Among the endless number of reasons why, the constant changes concerning the way of learning of students prevails. While no one could come up with the perfect decision to balance between stopping the spreading of the disease in schools and teaching students properly, the years 2020 and 2021 were synonym of experimentation at every levels. PSAC syllabuses were exceptionally lightened, the school calendar was entirely postponed, an O level paper was cancelled and so on - It was just continual pandemonium for the students. The latter were lost as whenever the situation in Mauritius altered, they were pushed into a new routine before even adjusting; online then thrice a week then four before going back online… At this point, many of them feel like zombies where they wake up, follow classes, eat, sleep, and repeat. The days where students went outside with friends or enjoyed themselves turn out rare due to the pandemic. In overall, the impact it caused on the mental health of students is devastating. Depression lurks as one remains at home, anxiety appears as one feels unaccomplished, and stress is formed due to difficulties adapting. In one way or another, every student is suffering.
In the situation we are in, another significant issue experienced by students is social awkwardness. This concept might sound trivial, but it acts as an essential pillar in the development of teenagers. After spending such a long time, learning virtually, it was proven that they feel embarrassed when put in a social environment. Although modern method of communication exists such as Whatsapp, students tend to find it harder to interact with others. This is because they ‘experienced loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic’ says the BBC. As a result, they exclude themselves and paradoxically feel worse with people. Moreover, the wearing of masks and constant fear of being contaminated do not aid socialization. The masks reduce comprehension as the voice sometimes sound muffled whereas people are nervous to converse out of apprehension of being in contact with a Covid-19 positive person. This can explain why Mauritian students have turned to unorthodox means to communicate such as through video gaming or Discord but nothing compares to the face-to-face interactions. Such a predicament impedes on the sane raising of a youngster and is likely to make him become insecure.
In spite of all the problems faced by the students, there can be upsides such as more free-time for themselves. It is true that one can feel like they were born in the wrong era, but it is equally as important to understand that most of the people around them are in the same situation. They are also doing their best with what they have and trying to protect their families and friends. The best students can do for the moment is not to give up and to continue to persevere so as to adapt to what is now called the ‘New Normal’
-AH VON Tyler
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