UNICEF calls on governments to reopen schools

Sep 16, 2021

“The losses that students are incurring from not being in school may never be recovered.”

UNICEF calls on governments to reopen schools

Jacky Achan
Journalist @New Vision

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called on governments, local authorities and school administrations in countries that have kept schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to reopen them for learning as soon as possible.

Schools for nearly 77 million students in six countries continue to be completely closed 18 months into the pandemic, according to an updated data analysis released by UNICEF. 

Also, an estimated 131 million students in 11 countries have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning, and around 27% of countries worldwide continue to have schools fully or partially closed.

 “As classes resume in many countries around the world, millions of students are heading into a third academic year without stepping foot in a classroom,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. 

“The losses that students are incurring from not being in school may never be recovered,” she said. 

In Uganda, the situation is not any different; 15 million children are out of school and have had their learning interrupted because of school closures, according to UNICEF. 

Worrying is Uganda’s noticeably young population, with approximately 75% of the population being below the age of 30. 

While remote learning has been a lifeline for millions of schoolchildren access to technology and the quality of the curriculum have been uneven even within communities and school districts, according to UNICEF. 

Equally in Uganda, there are massive gaps in access to technology among urban and rural areas which perpetuates inequality. 

Researchers who investigated the effect of COVID-19 on the Educational Sector in the country say supporting the education sector is critical, because such a larger percentage of the population has the potential to increase capital and improve economic growth. 

However, school closures have created a shadow crisis for children, according to UNICEF. 

Beyond falling behind on their education, many children are missing school-based meals and routine vaccinations, experiencing social isolation and increased anxiety, and being exposed to abuse and violence.

 For some, school closures have led to dropout, child labour and child marriage. 

Also, many parents have been unable to continue with their employment while balancing their children’s care and learning needs. 

Some have lost their jobs entirely, pushing their families into poverty and creating a deeper economic crisis. 

“The education crisis is still here, and with each passing day that classrooms remain dark, the devastation worsens,” said Fore. 

“This is a crisis we will not allow the world to ignore. Our channels are silent, but our message is loud: Every community, everywhere must reopen schools as soon as possible.” 

“Schools must be the last to close and the first to reopen. We have to start putting the best interest of every child first. In all but the most extreme cases, this means getting students back into the classroom,” said the UNICEF Executive Director. 

According to UNICEF, experience shows that schools are not the main drivers of transmission and that it is possible to keep them open for in-person learning. 

While not a prerequisite to reopen schools, teachers should be prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, after frontline health workers and those most at risk, to help protect them from community transmission, the organization says. 

UNICEF and its partners on Thursday starting 4:00 pm EAT (13.00 GMT) commenced a close down for 18 hours to mark 18 months of school closures to call attention to the 18 months of lost learning, deferred potential and uncertain future, and to urge governments and send one message to the world to reopen schools as soon as possible.

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