Coronavirus: Half of global student population not attending school, says UNESCO

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), more than 850 million children and youth were compelled to restrain themselves from schools and universities due to coronavirus pandemic. This is half of the world’s student population. UNESCO further stated that countrywide school shut down are in place in 102 countries and local shut down in 11 other countries. This displays more than double in the statistics of learners barred from joining educational institutions, with more increases likely. Apart from this, it observed that the magnitude and speed of the school and university shut down reflect an unparalleled hindrance to the education sector.

Countries across the globe are competing to fill the vacuum with distance learning solutions but the indefinite period of the shutdown adds more impediment to their struggles. These range from hi-tech replacements like real-time video classes held distantly to lower-tech options such as educational programming on radio and television. The effects of the school shut down are tough to assess and many of them outspread beyond the education sector. The drawbacks of intermittent learning are unequal for deprived learners who tend to have fewer educational chances outside of school. Apart from this, many children and youth depend on free or discounted school meals for healthy nutrition. Nutrition is compromised when schools close.

UNESCO is unveiling a Global COVID-19 Education Coalition that joins multilateral partners and the private sector, including Microsoft and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), to assist countries to install remote learning systems so as to reduce educational disturbances and maintain social contact with learners.  

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