UN Secretary-General António Guterres has released a Policy Brief on education in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The document, tagged ‘Education during Covid-19 and beyond’, states that education is the key to personal development and the future of societies as it unlocks opportunities and narrows inequalities.
Development Diaries understands that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education ever as schools were closed in more than 160 countries, affecting over one billion students.
At least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education in their critical pre-school year and parents, especially women, are being forced to assume heavy care burdens in the home.
Guterres said, ‘We are at a defining moment for the world’s children and young people. We already faced a learning crisis before the pandemic. More than 250 million school-age children were out of school. And only a quarter of secondary school children in developing countries were leaving school with basic skills.
‘Now, we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities. The knock-on effects on child nutrition, child marriage, and gender equality, among others, are deeply concerning’.
The Policy Brief calls for action in reopening schools, prioritising education in financing decisions, and targeting the hardest to reach populations.
‘To achieve this, we need to invest in digital literacy and infrastructure, an evolution towards learning how to learn, a rejuvenation of life-long learning, and strengthened links between formal and non-formal education’, the UN chief added.
‘And we need to draw on flexible delivery methods, digital technologies, and modernised curricula while ensuring sustained support for teachers and communities.
‘As the world faces unsustainable levels of inequality, we need education – the great equaliser – more than ever. We must take bold steps now, to create inclusive, resilient, quality education systems fit for the future’.
Source: United Nations
Photo source: Andreas Komodromos
