Learners’ challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic in high school at the Thabo Mofutsanyane

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many challenges for learners, especially in their academic work. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, most high school learners had to find other ways to learn, as in-person instruction and physical learning were suspended. This study explores the challenges learners faced in high schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It used a qualitative research approach and a phenomenological research design. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Ten participants, including four learners and six teachers, were purposively and conveniently selected from a rural high school in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district, Free State, South Africa. Data were analysed through narrative analysis. The results showed that learners were separated from their educators and peers. They revealed that learners struggled to acquire information online as they did not have the necessary equipment, such as laptops, smartphones, data, and a stable internet connection to do so, which could cause psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, and loss of intrinsic motivation. These challenges could decrease their pass rate. Other learners had to repeat the grades, while others dropped out of school.