The United Nations warned of a “generational catastrophe” as millions of children could be left behind in their studies due to the ongoing pandemic.
In a Policy Brief, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic will also compound the “learning crisis” that the world had even before the onset of the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19).
More than 250 million school-age children were already out of school and the education funding gap in low and middle-income countries already amounted to $1.48 billion a year before the pandemic.
“Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities,” Guterres said.
“Learners with disabilities, those in minority or disadvantaged communities, displaced and refugee students and those in remote areas are at highest risk of being left behind,” he added.
In the policy brief, UN cited United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) estimates that 23.8 million additional children and youth from pre-primary to tertiary may drop out or not have access to school next year due to the pandemic’s economic impact alone.
UN said more children are expected to drop out after school closures. This, UN said, would have significant adverse impact especially on the welfare of girls and women.
With schools closed, girls and young women would be more vulnerable to child marriage, early pregnancy, and gender-based violence.
These will prevent them from continuing their education after the pandemic. And Guterres said these “knock on effects” are “deeply concerning.”
“We are at a defining moment for the world’s children and young people,” Guterres said. “The decisions that governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and on the development prospects of countries for decades to come.”
In response, Gutteres said governments should prioritize the reopening of schools after local Covid-19 transmission is placed under control.
Efforts to boost education investments are also in order. Gutteres said the education gap, due to the pandemic, has undoubtedly grown and governments must increase the budget for education.
Part of these investments must also be directed to finance the needs of teachers. Many of them, the policy brief stated, lack the basic information communication technology (ICT) skills.
Further, teacher’s physical health was put at risk when required to provide face-to-face education for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children.
“Adding to the fear of being exposed to the virus was a fear of losing salaries and benefits, all while coping with increased workloads and family responsibilities. This is especially true of female teachers who had to continue teaching and bore a disproportionate share of family responsibilities,” the policy brief stated.
Gutteres said government efforts must also include measures needed to respond to the needs of people who are at the greatest risk of being left behind.
This means people in emergencies and crises; minority groups of all kinds; displaced people; and those with disabilities.
Efforts must also be sensitive to the challenges faced by girls, boys, women, and men as well as the need to bridge the digital divide.
“We have a generational opportunity to reimagine education,” Gutteres said. “We can take a leap towards forward-looking systems that deliver quality education for all as a springboard for the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The SDGs are composed of 17 goals with around 169 targets with 230 global indicators adopted in September 2015.
The Global Goals aim to end poverty and hunger, promote universal health, education for all and lifelong learning, achieve gender equality, sustainable water management, ensure sustainable energy for all, decent work for all, resilient infrastructure, and reduce income inequality between and among countries.
The goals also include create sustainable cities, ensure sustainable consumption and production, take action against climate change, conserve and sustainably use oceans and marine resources, reduce biodiversity loss, achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, and revitalize global partnership for development.