Parents’ perceptions of sending their children to primary school during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka North City (DNC), Bangladesh

Abstract

Like other developing countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the public’s mental and physical health in Bangladesh. People, especially, in the country’s capital city, Dhaka, have suffered as a serious consequence of the pandemic in various ways, for instance, fear, stress, sadness, isolation, and loneliness. The study investigates parents’ perceptions of sending their children to kindergarten or primary school during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka North City (DNCC), Bangladesh. The research employs several qualitative tools for answering the stated questions and objectives. Adopting a purposive sampling procedure, 30 informants from two wards were selected in the DNC area. We examine the “Field Theory” approach developed by Brager and Holloway to prepare the interview guide administered to these 30 informants. Apart from in-depth interviews, the study utilizes focus group discussions (FGDs) to obtain comprehensive data from them. The study reveals that parents have various perceptions about sending their children to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, making decisions based on psychological state, behavior patterns, quality education, and school safety measures. Parents feel insecure about sending their children to school as the institutional authorities are unaware of sanitizing the premises. As well, quality education greatly concerns the parents making such decisions about sending their children to school. The study recommends that the government, school authorities, and guardians take safety measures seriously inside the homes and the schools’ premises to help ensure children can safely attend primary schools.