The reopening of schools should be the top priority for countries, as the cost of keeping schools closed is high and threatens to harm a generation of children and youth, while increasing the disparities that existed before the pandemic.
This statement is contained in the executive summary of the Report "The state of the world education crisis: a path to recovery", of Unesco, Unicef and the World Bank, entities that affirm that "reopening schools and keeping them open should be the top priority for countries".
These international organizations explain that There is growing evidence that, with the right measures, health risks to children and educational staff can be minimized. and that reopening is the best step countries can take to start reversing their learning losses.
They note that the crisis exacerbated inequalities in education and that globally, school closures, both partial and full, lasted an average of 224 days, yet in low- and middle-income countries school closures at were generally longer than in high-income countries, and their response was in most cases less effective.
The report finds that teachers in several low- and middle-income countries received limited support for their professional development to transition to distance learning, leaving them unprepared to engage with students and their caregivers.
Likewise, it states that in households, the ability to respond to the impact of the pandemic on education varied according to income level. "Children from disadvantaged households were less likely to benefit from distance learning relative to their peers, often due to lack of electricity, connectivity, equipment, and support from their caregivers".
The report states that the younger students and those with disabilities were largely ignored by the policy responses put forward by countriess, such that distance learning was rarely designed with the developmental needs of these children in mind.
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