Abstract

When WHO declared COVID-19 as Pandemic and fast spreading, several governmental measures were taken to counteract the risk of the disease spreading such as travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine for travellers, social distancing, bans on public gatherings, school and universities closure, business closures, self-isolation, asking people to work at home and imposition of curfews and lock down. These measures have a negative worldwide effect on the business, education, health, tourism, etc. and educational institutions around the world (in 192 countries) were either temporarily closed or implemented localized closure, affecting 1.7 billion of student population worldwide. It is in view of the above that this research was designed and intended to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on academic achievement of senior secondary school students in Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba state. A survey design was adopted and gazetted WAEC results for 2019 and 2020 for two selected senior secondary schools was used as source of data for the study. Two parameters, credits in 5 subjects and above and failure in English language and Mathematics were used for comparison of students’ academic achievement before and after COVID-19. Findings had revealed that number of students with 5 credits and above in both schools were 99% before COVID-19 (2019) and 97% after COVID-19. Failure in English Language and Mathematics had increase from 15% to 20% and from 2% to 10% in the two schools.