UNESCO urges 'bold' measures to compensate for learning losses due to COVID-19

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) called on Monday for “bold” steps to make up for learning losses caused by school closures in the wake of the COVID-19.

In spite of the highly contagious Omicron variant, most countries affected by it are managing to keep schools open, according to the UN agency, which notes that “bold steps must be taken to make up for learning disruptions.”

In a new UNESCO report on the International Day of Education, the organization notes that schools are currently open in most countries (135) but that in a small number (25) of them schooling has temporarily been suspended.

The organization notes in a press release that fewer than a dozen countries have closed schools and moved to full distance learning instead of in-person learning since the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The contrast is significant in comparison to the same period in the previous year, during which 40 countries had closed their schools and education was completely suspended, UNESCO specified.

“Education continues to be deeply disrupted by the pandemic, but all countries are now fully aware of the dramatic consequences of school closures, as expressed by UNESCO for the past two years. The progress of vaccination campaigns and the experience accumulated since the start of the pandemic is now leading to a new model based on the implementation of health protocols in schools,” the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, quoted in the press release.

Several countries, including Brazil, France, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Palestine, and Ukraine, now use so-called “traffic light” surveillance systems that automatically trigger measures based on infection levels: masks, hand washing, ventilation, and even separating students from one another, or closing classes on a case-by-case basis, in order to minimize the impact on students studying in the same establishment.

According to the same source, countries like Canada, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom are also conducting massive campaigns of rapid tests.

Socio-psychological support, support for teachers, and financial resources are essential to establish these protocols effectively, notes UNESCO, which calls for intensified efforts to allow teachers to access vaccination.

According to a large-scale study conducted in 11 countries by UNESCO and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, more than 50% of teachers say that students have not reached the expected levels over the past year, and the vast majority of them find it difficult to provide the necessary support to vulnerable students.

In addition, more than 50% of students surveyed indicate that they are stressed by the changes that have occurred within their school, UNESCO adds.

Since the start of the pandemic, UNESCO, through its Global Education Coalition which has 175 members, has intervened in more than 100 countries to ensure educational continuity.

With its partners, the Organization has set up digital platforms, trained teachers in the use of distance learning tools, and massively disseminated dematerialized educational content.