One in three school children across the world have been unable to access remote learning during Covid-19 school closures, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report.
It noted that children in Africa have been most adversely impacted, with 49 percent of them in East and Southern Africa unable to access remote education compared to 38 percent in South Asia and 34 percent in East Europe and Central Asia.
‘For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to Covid-19, there was no such a thing as remote learning’, the Executive Director at UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, said.
‘The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come’.
The report, Covid-19: Are Children Able to Continue Learning During School Closures?, examined 100 countries, looking at children’s ability to access remote learning through television and radio broadcasts or online classes and the availability of the correct educational materials on these platforms.
It found that students in Africa were the most impacted, with almost half unable to access remote education. It was noted that most children lived in rural areas, in poor households with no access to the internet, to electricity, or to the educational television and radio broadcasts that many nations ran.
UNICEF said that the situation was likely far worse than the report’s findings.
It was also noted that even when children have the technology and tools at home, they may not be able to learn due to factors such as pressure to do chores, being forced to work, or living in a poor environment such as crowded, noisy accommodation.
Child rights organisations have said that the school closures have had a devastating impact on children – particularly girls – in Africa who have become increasingly vulnerable to sexual violence and child marriage during lockdowns.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) survey of 39 countries in sub-Saharan Africa found that schools were fully open in only six. Some nations, including Kenya, have cancelled the entire school year, with plans to resume classes in January.
UNICEF and the WHO are now urging African governments to promote the safe reopening of schools, while taking measures to limit the spread of the virus.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said, ‘We must not be blind-sided by our efforts to contain Covid-19 and end up with a lost generation.
‘Just as countries are opening businesses safely, we can reopen schools. This decision must be guided by a thorough risk analysis to ensure the safety of children, teachers, and parents and with key measures like physical distancing put in place’.
Source: Reuters
Photo source: UNICEF
