In numbers: The COVID-19 disruption of education worldwide

With more than 100 crore students around the world at home as their schools are closed, the disruption in education is unprecedented.
In numbers: The COVID-19 disruption of education worldwide

With more than 100 crore students around the world at home as their schools are closed, the disruption in education is unprecedented. Here’s an overview of the cost of school closures, risks of reopenings and possible technological solutions.

As lockdowns ease around the world, policymakers are trying to decide if it’s safe enough for students to go back to school. Their job is made more difficult by the lack of scientific evidence on whether children are more or less at risk of contracting or spreading the new coronavirus.

Countries, where Covid-19 cases are on a declining trend, have begun reopening their schools. But in countries such as India, where daily cases continue to spike, uncertainty and fear swirl around the question of sending children back to classrooms.

The cost of kids missing classes is high and particularly grim for India. Education remains the most critical path to social mobility and the closures brought about due to the pandemic may cause many to drop out of school altogether. And after India’s strict nationwide lockdown, poor families struggling to make ends meet may send children to work instead of to school (Schools shut, tribal kids turn labourers for food, TNIE June 5).

The disruption caused by the Covid-19 may have far-reaching consequences on children’s lives.

Schools provide more than just education in India. Over nine core children across the country depend on the education system for midday meals. If schools remain shut, many of them will be deprived of essential nutrition too.

The decision on reopening schools should not be taken lightly. The local context needs to be taken into consideration; for instance, more than 40% of Indian schools do not have any hygiene service whatsoever, as per UNICEF. Safety and well-being of children should be the priority. Experts suggest that reducing class sizes, double shifts and focusing first on younger kids or marginalised groups and cancelling exams are good initial steps in reopening schools.

No midday meal ration kits for some kids
Lakhs of children, especially in rural areas, need the balanced nutrition that midday meals provide. But the closure of schools and anganwadi centres has meant that many children have missed those wholesome meals of rice, vegetables and milk. Some state governments have been giving dry rations in place of the meals to families to bridge the gap, even during the summer vacation. But reports say that many families aren’t getting those rations, putting them at serious risk of malnutrition and long-term harm. Lack of adequate nutrition has been linked to deaths in children under five. There have been gripping reports of families now living on meals of just salt and rice/rotis.

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The New Indian Express
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