42% Bangladeshi children anticipate harder post-lockdown life: Survey
The study by Educo also revealed that Bangladeshi children were most worried about their family’s finances as around 20 percent of the participants said they are concerned about adults not being able to go back to work
A global study, recently conducted by Educo, revealed that about 42 percent of Bangladeshi children believe that life after the coronavirus lockdown will be more complicated.
More than 500 children in Bangladesh participated in the survey through online and phone interviews; 56 percent of the respondents were girls.
The study revealed that children in Bangladesh were worried most about their family's finances. Around 20 percent of them said they are very concerned about the adults not being able to go back to work.
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"Children are very aware of how a situation impacts their families. And economic hardships can have tremendous effects on their emotional and mental wellbeing," said Abdul Hamid, country director of Educo Bangladesh.
Children understand what is going on around them and can analyse how the pandemic is affecting everyone, he added.
When asked what the children miss the most, they highlighted seeing friends (22.88 percent) and going back to school (21.8 percent) as their key priorities.
"All of these results show the importance of relationships, especially friendships and surroundings of educational institutes, in their lives," said Ehsanul Hoque, programme specialist-child protection at Terrae daes Hommes Netherlands.
School is not just a place where children go to learn. It is also a place for relationships, diversity, and personal growth, he added.
Nupur Akhter, who has completed her SSC in 2020, said, "I am waiting for the next phase of my life, but everything is now stagnant." She expressed uncertainty about when she will be able to commence further education.
Attending classes, meeting friends might not remain the same as before, instead, would be a matter of disquiet between her and her family.
However, on a positive note, about 22 percent of the participants have asserted that being able to spend time with family is what they value most in the current situation. Nearly 17% have also said that they feel safer at home.
Globally, 18 percent of the respondents anticipated a worse post-lockdown life, while 29% were unsure about what their future would look like.
Among the participants, 22 percent were worried about their health and their families', while about 19 percent were worried about financial matters.
Additionally, more than 17 percent worried that there would not be enough money to pay for household necessities.
More than 4,500 children and youths aged between 5 and 24 participated in the global study conducted by Educo in 20 countries in Africa, America, Asia, and Europe in May this year.
Educo is a global development NGO focused on education and child protection working in 13 countries carrying out projects which include participation from more than 400,000 children and 200,000 adults.
