Children cannot afford another year of school closure: Unicef
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Children cannot afford another year of school closure: Unicef

Coronavirus chronicle

UNB
12 January, 2021, 05:55 pm
Last modified: 12 January, 2021, 06:02 pm

Related News

  • South Asia is epicentre of severely wasted children; Bangladesh fares better than India, Pakistan: Unicef
  • UN warns of 'catastrophic' child malnutrition due to price hikes, Ukraine war
  • A school with one student!
  • S Korea says it will spare no effort to help North Korea amid Covid outbreak
  • Kim Jong Un orders North Korea military to 'stabilise' drug supply amid Covid outbreak

Children cannot afford another year of school closure: Unicef

The cost of closing schools – which at the peak of pandemic lockdowns affected 90 per cent of students worldwide and left more than a third of schoolchildren with no access to remote education – has been devastating, said the Unicef ED

UNB
12 January, 2021, 05:55 pm
Last modified: 12 January, 2021, 06:02 pm
Logo of Unicef / Courtesy
Logo of Unicef / Courtesy

Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Tuesday said no effort should be spared to keep schools open or prioritize them in reopening plans as they enter the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, and cases continue to soar around the world.

"Despite overwhelming evidence of the impact of school closures on children, and despite increasing evidence that schools are not drivers of the pandemic, too many countries have opted to keep schools closed, some for nearly a year," Fore said in a statement.

The cost of closing schools – which at the peak of pandemic lockdowns affected 90 per cent of students worldwide and left more than a third of schoolchildren with no access to remote education – has been devastating, said the Unicef ED.

"The number of out-of-school children is set to increase by 24 million, to a level we have not seen in years and have fought so hard to overcome."

Children's ability to read, write and do basic math has suffered, and the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century economy have diminished, Fore said.

"Their health, development, safety and well-being are at risk. The most vulnerable among them will bear the heaviest brunt," she said.

"Without school meals, children are left hungry and their nutrition is worsening. Without daily interactions with their peers and a reduction in mobility, they are losing physical fitness and showing signs of mental distress. Without the safety net that school often provides, they are more vulnerable to abuse, child marriage and child labour," Fore added.

That is why closing schools must be a measure of last resort, after all other options have been considered, she said.

Assessing the risk of transmission at the local level should be a key determinant in decisions on school operations.

Nationwide school closures must be avoided whenever possible, she said.

"Where there are high levels of community transmission, where health systems are under extreme pressure and where closing schools is deemed inevitable, safeguarding measures must be put in place.

This includes ensuring that children who are at risk of violence in their homes, who are reliant upon school meals and whose parents are essential workers are able to continue their education in their classrooms."

In case of lockdowns, schools must be among the first to reopen once authorities start lifting restrictions, Fore said. "Catch-up classes should be prioritized to ensure that children who have been unable to learn remotely are not left behind."

She said children are faced with another year of school closures, the effects will be felt for generations to come.

Top News / World+Biz

Unicef / School / children / COVID-19 / lockdown

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Dollar price comes down to Tk98 day after crossing Tk100 
    Dollar price comes down to Tk98 day after crossing Tk100 
  • Infographic: TBS
    Bakery business: Out of the frying pan into the fire
  • Photo: Collected
    China, US are racing to make billions from mining the moon's minerals

MOST VIEWED

  • Representational image.
    China Junshi's potential Covid drug shows promise in small trial
  • A woman wearing protective mask walks at a sidewalk near business district in Jakarta, Indonesia March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/Files
    Indonesia to drop outdoor mask mandate as Covid-19 infections drop
  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presides over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, May 17, 2022, in this photo released May 18, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS
    N Korean leader slams officials' 'immaturity' in response to Covid outbreak
  • North Korea Covid outbreak is 'worrying' for new variants -WHO
    North Korea Covid outbreak is 'worrying' for new variants -WHO
  • People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in North Korea, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea on 17 May 2022. Photo: Reuters.
    N Korea Covid outbreak could have 'devastating' impact on human rights, UN says
  • Two women hug at a closed street during lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Shanghai, China, May 16, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song
    Shanghai achieves 'zero Covid' status but normal life is weeks away

Related News

  • South Asia is epicentre of severely wasted children; Bangladesh fares better than India, Pakistan: Unicef
  • UN warns of 'catastrophic' child malnutrition due to price hikes, Ukraine war
  • A school with one student!
  • S Korea says it will spare no effort to help North Korea amid Covid outbreak
  • Kim Jong Un orders North Korea military to 'stabilise' drug supply amid Covid outbreak

Features

‘The geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound change, Dhaka needs to craft proactive strategies’

‘The geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound change, Dhaka needs to craft proactive strategies’

6h | Interviews
Graphics: TBS

Facebook and Bangladeshi politicians: A new tide in mass political communication?

7h | Panorama
Despite Bangladesh having about 24,000 km of waterways, only a few hundred kilometres are covered by commercial launch services. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Utilising waterways: When common home-goers show the way

1d | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

How Putin revived Nato

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

How Putin revived Nato

How Putin revived Nato

1h | Videos
Paddle steamers in Bangladesh

Paddle steamers in Bangladesh

6h | Videos
Genome sequencing: best ways to diagnose pediatrics

Genome sequencing: best ways to diagnose pediatrics

7h | Videos
Reasons behind the sudden fall in stock market

Reasons behind the sudden fall in stock market

7h | Videos

Most Read

1
Representative Photo: Pixabay.
Bangladesh

Microplastics found in 5 local sugar brands

2
Mushfiq Mobarak. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Panorama

Meet the Yale professor who anchors his research in Bangladesh and scales up interventions globally

3
The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter
Industry

The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter

4
How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives
Bazaar

How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives

5
Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve
Economy

Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve

6
Impact of falling taka against US dollar
Banking

Taka losing more value as global currency market volatility persists

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab