Education in the Troubled Water of Natural Disasters: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Natural disasters have become increasingly and frequently devastating, disrupting the lives of millions and posing grave challenges to education systems worldwide. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the negative impacts of the natural disasters on the educational well-being of the BS students of the Sarhad University of Information Technology (SUIT), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The sample of the study was purposive, and semi-structured interviews were conducted for in-depth and rich information from the ten key informants of the study. The nature of interviews was kept different for the university educators as well as for university BS students. The collected data from the respondents were thematically analyzed. The findings of this study suggested that natural disasters like cloud bursts, floods, earthquakes, famine, and landslides, as well as pandemics, have gravely affected the academic, social, and physical infrastructure. The study also revealed that the students have been affected financially, emotionally, and economically, and the repercussions of their educational setbacks cannot be overlooked. The actualization of an alternate virtual education system in times of disasters and emergencies is the dire need of the day.