Status: 07/13/2021 6:20 p.m.
A new UN study shows: In less than a third of the countries with low or middle income, all students have returned to class. The risk of educational backlogs and school dropouts is great.
Several UN organizations have warned of a global education gap due to the pandemic-related school closings. In less than a third of the low- and middle-income countries, all students have returned to face-to-face classes.
This increases the risk of educational backlogs and school dropouts, according to a joint study by the educational and cultural organization Unesco and the children’s aid organization Unicef, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Girls in developing countries in particular were at risk of dropping out of the education system.
Significant differences in data from 142 countries
The data showed some considerable differences – for example in the duration of school drop-outs or the alternative forms of face-to-face teaching. While schools in wealthy states were closed for an average of 53 days in 2020, it was 115 days in states with lower-middle incomes.
In contrast, in low-income countries, a lack of distance learning increased the pressure to open schools quickly. A total of 142 countries took part in the survey, which covers the period from February to May 2021.
More funding programs needed
Distance teaching as a “lifeline” was out of reach for particularly vulnerable children, explained Robert Jenkins, Unicef director responsible for education. It is not enough to reopen the classrooms. Funding programs are needed to get the students back on track and to help girls and vulnerable children in particular.