MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2021) The UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Friday called on governments to prioritize the safe reopening of schools to avoid a generational catastrophe.
"Our message is clear: governments must prioritize the safe reopening of schools to avoid a generational catastrophe." UNICEF wrote on Twitter.
The UN body had alleged that governments have too often shut down schools and kept them closed for prolonged periods, even when the epidemiological situation did not warrant it.
They added that such actions are frequently taken as a first recourse rather than the last measure. In some cases, schools were closed while bars and restaurants remained open.
Presently, Primary and secondary schools are closed in 19 countries, affecting over 156 million students.
"We can reopen schools safely, and we must," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.
Since the pandemic began, children worldwide have had their education severely disrupted. Schools struggle to cope with repeated closures and re-openings and transition, in possible countries, to online schooling. The shift to remote learning has been uneven. Some countries could train teachers, roll out remote learning, and create student-support services. Others are still struggling, constrained by a lack of access to technology or expertise.
Nearly 90% of students in sub-Saharan Africa do not have household computers, while 82% cannot get online, creating a more divisive and deepening education crisis.
