Precious Makiyi
Genius Intellectual Consultancy
Introduction
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has necessitated the long closure of academic institutions in
most countries including Malawi. By the first week of April 2020, 188 countries had closed down their schools, affecting
over 1.5 billion young people1. As a way of curbing the spread of the pandemic, the Malawian president ordered an
immediate closure of schools on 23rd March, 2020, affecting 5.3 million school-going children2. Schools remained closed up to August, 2020. This may have negative implications on the mental health of school-going children, adolescents and the country’s economy. This commentary aims to argue against the long closure of the schools. It is not the intention of the author to demean the efforts being made towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is need to strike a balance between the precautionary measures and the psychosocial development of children and adolescents.