COVID-19: 1.3 billion students, 60 million teachers out of classroom, says UNESCO

Opeyemi Adelere

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has said that more than three out of four children and youth at the global level have been sent off classroom due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

According to the global body, 60.2 million teachers and nearly eighty per cent of the world’s student population, estimated at 1.37 billion students, were affected by school closure.

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As of 28 March 2020, UNESCO said the number increased to over 1.7 billion learners, representing nearly 90 per cent of the world’s student population, who were out of school due to school closures in response to COVID-19.

UNESCO said the Corona Virus pandemic had affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the widespread closures of schools and universities across 100 countries.

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Recall that efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 through various interventions and preventive measures such as social-distancing and self-isolation have prompted the widespread closure of primary, secondary, and tertiary schools in over 100 countries.

Meanwhile, an ad hoc group, making up education ministers from Nigeria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, France, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Senegal has been set up to look into the matter and come up with means to cushion the effect of the pandemic on education.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, however, said the likelihood of vulnerable children returning to school after the crisis is slim.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has suspended children’s lives in unprecedented ways. Hundreds of millions of children will have to spend weeks and months away from their classrooms.

“We know from experience that the longer vulnerable children stay away from school, the less likely they are to return. It is critical to give them alternative ways to learn and rebuild a routine. If we act now, we can take the necessary steps to safeguard their future while protecting their present.”

UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta H. Fore, announced $8.8 million contribution made by Global Partnership for Education to assist children and young people in 87 developing countries access learning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that, UNICEF would also provide $4 million of resources to reach an additional 58 countries.

Speaking further, she said the funds would be used in meeting children’s needs including preparing alternative learning programmes, providing vital information on hand washing and counseling to support their mental health, programming to prevent stigma and discrimination, among others.

“Governments in 87 eligible countries will start receiving education funds from 30 March to support education systems’ response to COVID-19. The funds will help scale up response planning, communication around safe school operations and sharing knowledge and building capacity,” she concluded.