Fri 30 October 2020:
While schools have fully or partially reopened in more than two-thirds of the countries surveyed, one in four have missed their planned reopening date or have not yet set a date for classes to commence. Most of these schools are in low and lower middle income countries.
The study is based on findings from surveys on national education responses to the global crisis carried out in nearly 150 countries between June and October.
Additionally, of the 79 countries which responded to questions on financing, nearly 40 per cent in low and lower middle income nations have either already experienced decreases in the national budget for education, or anticipate cuts, for the current or coming fiscal year.
Furthermore, half of respondents in low income countries said they do not have adequate funds for COVID-19 safety measures such as handwashing facilities or protective equipment for students and teachers, compared to five per cent of high income countries.
“The pandemic will notch up the funding gap for education in low and middle income countries. By making the right investment choices now, rather than waiting, this gap could be significantly reduced”, said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education.
Jaime Saavedra, the World Bank Global Director for Education, underscored the need for action.
“Despite widespread efforts, there are large differences in countries’ capacity to provide children and youth with effective learning. And there are probably even wider differences within countries in the educational stimulation children and youth have experienced”, he said.
“We were worried about ‘learning poverty’ before the pandemic and also about the inequality in learning opportunities. Now the learning baseline is lower, but the increase in inequality of opportunities could be catastrophic. The task of reigniting the learning process is extremely urgent.”
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