UN calls for full reopening of South Asian schools amid loss of education | Academic Issues

The education of more than 400 million children has been affected, with UNICEF officials warning that the consequences could last for years.

India and its neighbors are set to reopen schools to end the disruptive education of more than 400 million children whose classes were closed by the coronavirus, UNICEF says, with a high warning that its effects could end. decades ago.

Schools in Bangladesh were closed for about 18 months, one of the longest locks Globally, the UN children’s agency said, as schools in other South Asian countries were closed for about 31.5 weeks between March 2020 and August this year.

“It simply came to our notice then no solid objects in further study, “George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF’s regional director for South Asia, told AFP.

“Access to the internet and tools was very unrelated. And we see a lot of illiteracy, especially between the poor and the girls – because boys are often more dependent on technology.”

A study in India, cited in the report, shows that the number of 3th graders who can read grade 1 dropped from 42 percent in 2018 to just 24 percent in 2020.

Dropping out of school also exposes students to depression, mental illness, and violence. The girls were on a high risk of marriage.

The UNICEF report called on the governments of South Asia to re-introduce private learning and ensure students’ well-being, as well as to improve communication.

“The cost of failure to act may be a weak function in a number of years, it seems,” Laryea-Adjei said. “The results will be long lasting.”

According to the UNESCO database, schools in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan are slightly open, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka are fully open.

The report also warned that child mortality is expected to rise because of disruptions in the health care system, leaving millions of children without a life-saving vaccine.