IMPACT OF EBOLA CRISI ON SCHOOLS’ 2014/2015 ACADEMIC CALENDAR IN ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL OF FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY NIGERIA

The study investigated the impact of Ebola crisis on schools’ 2014/215 academic calendar in Abuja Municipal Area Council of Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was employed. The population of the study comprised all teachers and students of public and private secondary schools in the Area Council. Simple random sampling technique of hat and draw was applied in selecting the sample for the study. Four public and four private secondary schools were randomly selected out of the numerous secondary schools in the Area under study. Consequently, one principal and four teachers from each school with 25 students formed the sample of the study; thus, a total of240 respondents out of the population of 6,182 are used for the study. Questionnaire was the instrument used in the study. 240 copies of the questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 240 filled were collected. Simple percentage statistical technique was used to answer the research questions and Chi square was used to test the postulated null hypotheses. Among the major findings were that: Ebola crisis had impact on Abuja Municipal Area Council of Federal Capital Territory schools during the 2014/2015 academic calendar. Also, results indicated that, there were interventions by Nigerian Government during the Ebola crisis. Based on these findings, it was recommended that Government should checkmate the movement of people coming from affected countries. Nigerian government should also provide adequate funds and standard medical facilities during crisis or when natural disaster occurs. Public and private schools should be encouraged to make efforts in restoring academic curriculum whenever there is a natural disaster in the academic calendar leading to termination of academic activities and a subject called natural disaster should be introduced into secondary schools' curricula and to be taught by educational psychologists.