India should prioritize safe reopening of all schools: UNICEF

In India, 80 per cent of children aged 14-18 years reported lower levels of learning than when physically at school.

New Delhi: The UNICEF on Thursday said that safe and gradual reopening of schools in India is a welcome move as children learn best in person and this will help prevent further learning loss and alleviate some of the psychological stress children are facing.

It has appealed to the central government to prioritize the safe reopening of all schools, while also ensuring that children are able to pursue quality learning remotely if necessary.

“Going to school is a central part of children’s life. The prolonged school closure due to COVID-19 has caused many children to miss out on learning, social interaction and playtime which are essential to their overall development and well being.

The safety element is critical, teachers, parents, children and communities can work together along with the government, to put in place the protocols needed for children to return to schools and learn in a safe environment,” said Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, representative, UNICEF India.

“We need to focus on rapidly building capacities of teachers who can support learning both in the classroom as well as at home more effectively. We have examples from states like Bihar, where several devices are being purchased for students to support learning.

Now is the time to plan and put the structures in place to transition children back into learning. We need to build back better and stronger,” she said.

The UNICEF has also suggested the governments to prioritize the vaccination of teachers to support the safe reopening of schools.

“Governments need to train and equip teachers to better reach children and adolescents with limited or no access to technology through a combination of modalities including mobile devices, TV, radio, and printed materials,” UNICEF said.

School closures in South Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic have interrupted the learning of 434 million children.

According to UNICEF’s research, a substantial proportion of students and their parents reported that students learnt significantly less compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In India, 80 per cent of children aged 14-18 years reported lower levels of learning than when physically at school.

Similarly, in Sri Lanka, 69 per cent of parents of primary school children reported that their children were learning “less” or “a lot less.” Girls, children from the most disadvantaged households and children with disabilities faced the biggest challenges while learning remotely.