'A third of world’s schoolchildren unable to access remote learning amid COVID-19 school closures'

According to a new UNICEF report, at least a third of the world’s schoolchildren were unable to access remote learning in absence of schools during the lockdown. The report revealed that schoolchildren from the poorest households and those living in rural areas are by far the most likely to miss out during closures.

Hyderabad:A new report from UNICEF has revealed that at least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning during the coronavirus-induced school closures across the world.

“For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to COVID-19, there was no such a thing as remote learning,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.

“The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come.”

At the height of nationwide and local lockdowns, around 1.5 billion schoolchildren were affected by school closures. The report outlines the limitations of remote learning and exposes deep inequalities in access.

The report uses a globally representative analysis on the availability of home-based technology and tools needed for remote learning among schoolchildren across different academic levels, with data from 100 countries, including data on access to television, radio and internet, and the availability of curriculum delivered across these platforms during school closures.

Although the numbers in the report present a concerning picture on the lack of remote learning during school closures, UNICEF warns the situation is likely far worse. Even when children have the technology and tools at home, they may not be able to learn remotely through those platforms due to competing factors in the home including pressure to do chores, being forced to work, a poor environment for learning and lack of support in using the online or broadcast curriculum.

The report highlights significant inequality across regions. Schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected, where at least half of all students cannot be reached with remote learning.

Schoolchildren from the poorest households and those living in rural areas are by far the most likely to miss out during closures, the report says. Globally, 72 per cent of schoolchildren unable to access remote learning live in their countries’ poorest households. In upper-middle-income countries, schoolchildren from the poorest households account for up to 86 per cent of students unable to access remote learning. Globally, three-quarters of schoolchildren without access live in rural areas.

• At least 70 per cent of schoolchildren of pre-primary-age – 120 million children – cannot be reached, largely due to challenges and limitations to online learning for young children, lack of remote learning programmes for this education category, and lack of home assets for remote learning.
• At least 29 per cent of primary schoolchildren – 217 million students – cannot be reached. At least 24 per cent of lower-secondary schoolchildren – 78 million students – cannot be reached.
• Upper-secondary schoolchildren were the least likely to miss out on remote learning with at least 18 per cent – 48 million schoolchildren – not having the technological assets to access remote learning.

The UNICEF has urged the governments to prioritize the safe re-opening of schools when they begin easing lockdown restrictions, and where re-opening is not possible, governments should incorporate compensatory learning for time lost. The report urged that the school opening policies and practices must include expanding access to education, including remote learning, especially for marginalized groups.