First day of face-to-face classes continues to be “postponed indefinitely” for 140 million children worldwide, according to UNICEF

The start of the next school year will be postponed for some 140 million children due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis published by Unicef on the occasion of the end of the summer holidays in different parts of the world.

It is estimated that to date, nearly 8 million students have been waiting for more than a year to participate in the first day of face-to-face classesbecause they live in places where schools were closed during the pandemic.

“The first day of school is a historic moment for a child, because it is the beginning of a journey of learning and personal growth that changes their life. Most of us remember a myriad of irrelevant details about that day, such as the clothes we wore, the name of our teacher, or the person we sat down with. However, for millions of children this important day has been postponed indefinitely “said the executive director of UNICEF, Henriette before.

According to the American, as classes resume in many parts of the world, millions of freshmen have been waiting for over a year to see the inside of a classroom. “Several million more might not be able to see it for the whole of the first quarter. For the most vulnerable, the chances that they will not set foot in a classroom all their lives are very high.», He alerted.

UNICEF recalled that in the first year, the foundations for future learning are laid through introduction to reading, writing and mathematics. Likewise, during this period, face-to-face teaching facilitates children become more independent, adapt to new routines and establish meaningful relationships with teachers and students. Face-to-face teaching also allows teachers detect and address learning delays, mental health issues and abuse that could negatively impact children’s well-being.

In 2020, schools around the world were completely closed for an average of 79 school days, according to UNICEF. However, after the onset of the pandemic, the 168 million student centers remained closed most of the year. Even now, many children face an unprecedented situation in which their education will be interrupted for the second year in a row.

In this sense, the organization warned that the consequences of school closures (lack of learning, anxiety, difficulty getting vaccinated and increased risk of dropping out of school, child labor and child marriage) will affect many children, especially to younger students, who are in the most decisive stages of development.

While celebrating the fact that steps are being taken to provide distance education in countries around the world, 29% of primary school students do not receive any help. In addition to the lack of necessary resources in this type of education, Many children may not be able to participate due to a lack of support for using technology, live in an inappropriate learning environment, have to do household chores, or are forced to work.

UNICEF said different studies have shown that positive school experiences during this transition period are a predictor of children’s social, emotional and educational outcomes in the future. Likewise, children who are left behind during the early years of their education tend to lag behind the rest of their time in school, a gap that widens over the years. Besides, the child’s future income depends proportionately on the length of his studies.

If no mitigation action is taken, World Bank estimates this generation of students will experience an estimated $ 10 billion loss in income as adults. In addition, there is evidence showing that the cost of closing learning gaps is lower and more effective when you act early, and that investments in education support economic recovery, growth and prosperity.

Three priorities

For all that, UNICEF called on governments to reopen schools to resume face-to-face teaching and provide students with a comprehensive recovery response. In collaboration with the World Bank and UNESCO, UNICEF urges governments to focus on three key priorities to promote recovery in schools.

The first of these priorities is specific programs that facilitate the return of all children and young people to school and give them access to adapted services that allow them to meet their needs in education, health and psychosocial well-being, among others.

Second, they offer effective remedial lessons that help students catch up on missing learning and finally, help for teachers, so that they can correct learning losses and integrate digital technology into their lessons.

“The first day of school is a day of hope and opportunity; a day to get back on track. However, not all children start off on the right track. Some don’t even start … We need to reopen schools as soon as possible and resume face-to-face teaching, and we need to immediately address the gaps that have arisen in education as a result of the pandemic. If we don’t, some children may never catch up. “, advirtió Henrietta Fore.

Over the coming weeks, UNICEF will continue to mobilize its partners and the general population to “To prevent this educational crisis from becoming a disaster”. The live and online campaigns will bring together world leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers around a common cause: reopen schools as soon as possible and resume educational presencethe.

(With information from Europa Press)

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