One-third of global students 'lack remote learning access'
August 27, 2020
Over 463 million kids whose schools closed due to the pandemic are not able to engage in distance learning, UNICEF has warned. The youngest, as well as those from poor or rural households, are most likely to miss out.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/I. West
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At least a third of the world's schoolchildren have been unable to access remote learning during school closures due to the pandemic, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Thursday.
At the height of global lockdowns, around 1.5 billion schoolchildren were affected by school closures. For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to COVID-19, there was no such thing as remote learning," said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director.
The youngest schoolchildren, and those from the poorest households or living in rural areas, are the most likely to miss out on remote learning.
"The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency," she said, adding that economic and societal effects would be felt for decades.
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The report examined data from 100 countries on the availability of remote technology and tools needed for online learning, including access to television, radio and internet.
In addition to the estimated figure of 463 million with total lack of access, UNICEF has warned that the situation is likely to be far worse.
Even when children do have the necessary technology and tools at home, they may not be able to learn remotely through those platforms due to distractions at home or having to work, the agency said.
Additionally, the youngest students are those most vulnerable to missing out on remote learning due to limitations and a lack of resources for pre-primary age kids. At least 70%, or 120 million children in the youngest age group do not have access to remote learning methods.
"UNICEF is calling for urgent investment to bridge the digital divide," the statement read.
The agency called on governments to safely reopen schools, expand access to remote learning and factor in compensatory classtime for lost instructional time during the pandemic into school reopening plans.
Over 820,000 people have died of COVID-19 worldwide, while over 24 million cases have been confirmed.
Coronavirus brings back-to-school challenges
As school holidays wind down around the world, COVID-19 infections are once again on the rise in many countries. In an effort to avoid further shutdowns, schools have adapted their approach to in-class learning.
Image: Getty Images/L. DeCicca
Thailand: Class in a box
The roughly 250 students who attend Wat Khlong Toey School in Bangkok now sit in plastic cubicles during class, and must keep their face masks all day. Sinks and soap dispensers are positioned outside each classroom, and temperatures are taken as students arrive to school in the morning. The strict measures seem to be working: the school has reported no new infections since July.
Image: Getty Images/L. DeCicca
New Zealand: School for some
These students in the capital, Wellington, are happy they can still go to school. Those in Auckland aren't so lucky. After the country went virus-free for three months, four new cases were reported in the country's largest city on August 11. Health authorities ordered the closure of schools and non-essential businesses in the city, and told citizens to stay home.
Image: Getty Images/H. Hopkins
Sweden: No special measures
Students in Sweden are still enjoying their summer holidays, but this picture of graduates taken before the break continues to symbolize the country's special approach to dealing with COVID-19. Unlike almost everywhere else in the world, the Scandinavian country has never required citizens to wear masks. Businesses, bars, restaurants and schools have all remained open.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/TT/J. Gow
Germany: Single file, at a distance
These students at Petri Primary School in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, are exhibiting exemplary behavior. Like all schools in Germany's most populous state, theirs requires face masks. Yet unlike students in Germany's other 15 states, they must also wear them in the classroom. It's too early to tell if the measures are working, however — the school year only kicked off on August 12.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Fassbender
West Bank: Back to school after 5 months
School has also resumed in Hebron, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Jerusalem. Students in the region are required to wear face masks, with some schools even calling for gloves. Yet despite her mask, this teacher's enthusiasm is evident. Schools in the Palestinian territories have been closed since March, with Hebron being an epicenter of infections.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/H. Bader
Tunisia: Masked since May
This class of high school students in Tunis began wearing masks in May. As schools across the North African country resume in the coming weeks, all students will be required to wear them. When Tunisia's schools were closed for several weeks in March, parents had to school their children at home, helping them with TV and internet-based learning programs until classes could resume in early summer.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Belaid
India: Teaching by loudspeaker
This school in Dandwal, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, has a special setup for students who have no access to the internet. Here they can attend a type of tutoring session to catch up on missed assignments, listening to prerecorded classes over a loudspeaker. Maharashtra was particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Image: Reuters/P. Waydande
Congo: No class without temperature check
Authorities in Lingwala, a well-heeled suburb in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, are taking the threat of coronavirus infections among students extremely seriously. Every student attending the suburb's Reverend Kim School is required to have his or her temperature taken before being allowed to enter the building. Face masks are also mandatory.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Mpiana
United States: Lessons in the world's hot spot
Schools in the US are also doing daily temperature checks to detect potential COVID-19 cases. Such measures are urgently needed in the country, which continues to see some of the world's highest infection rates. On August 13, Johns Hopkins University reported that more people had died within the past 24 hours than at any point since late May.
Image: picture-alliance/Newscom/P. C. James
Brazil: Gloves and a hug
Maura Silva (left) is a teacher at a public school in western Rio de Janeiro, near one of the city's largest slums. She makes an effort to visit her students at home, and brings along her "hug kit." Before taking them in her arms, Silva and her students put on masks and she helps them to put on plastic gloves.
