With 1.57 billion students worldwide affected by school and university closures, COVID-19 has inadvertently sparked a global education crisis. While industrial nations, like the United States and United Kingdom, have swiftly shifted to remote learning, education efforts have stagnated in developing countries with disproportionate access to technology. In such areas, which already faced learning barriers prior to the pandemic, 810 million children must endure exacerbated social and economic disparities.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has closed all 3,690 public and private schools, affecting over one million students. In a nation where 68% of women are married before the age of 18, school closures prove detrimental to young women and girls. For generations, impoverished families have married off daughters to perpetuate gender norms and avoid education costs. With coronavirus further reducing financial security, countries like CAR will likely experience a surge in child marriages. During the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, similar school closures caused teenage pregnancies to increase by 65%. To mitigate the risk of child exploitation and support distance learning, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has granted 19 million USD to the CAR government. Since only 4% of citizens have internet access, the Central African Republic has piloted a radio education program to distribute nearly three thousand solar radio sets to students. According to UNICEF, these radios will enable 14,925 children to receive primary education. CAR broadcast stations will also raise awareness for child protection and gender-based violence prevention.
Young girl eats rations in Dominican Republic. FMSC Distribution Partner. CC BY 2.0
In Latin America and the Caribbean, where nearly 32% of people suffer from food insecurity, school closures mean many students face malnourishment. "For millions of children around the world, the meal they get at school is the only meal they get in a day. Without it, they go hungry, they risk falling sick, dropping out of school and losing their best chance of escaping poverty,” warned David Beasley, executive director of the U.N.’s World Food Program. As of March 31, 367 million children worldwide lacked access to school meals, further intensifying world hunger. With UNESCO funds, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Education has delivered food kits to families dependent on school meals. These families receive weekly food kits containing raw ingredients as well as daily cooked rations. Through the program, the government plans to feed 1.4 million students and promote continued education. Alongside food, the Ministry of Health delivers activities and workbooks adapted to the needs of each grade level.
Impoverished nations like Chile, however, are unable to provide students with basic goods. Since the coronavirus outbreak, more than one million Chileans have lost their usual source of income, with 300,000 Chileans laid off in March alone. To combat this economic crisis, President Sebastian Piñera pushed for return-to-work measures and face-to-face teaching. Yet, with increased disease spread, citizens have pressured the government to reinforce social distancing and remote schooling. Public television networks, with the help of UNESCO and UNICEF, recently created TV Educa Chile which broadcasts primary education programs and urges families to stay home.
In Central Asia, Uzbekistan is also using television to educate 48% of its population without internet. On March 30, two weeks after the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country, the government aired 350 video lessons on national TV. These lessons apply to grades K-12 and are available in Uzbek, Russian, English, and sign-language. Television networks will continue to broadcast 100 video classes per day and will reach 6.1 million students during lockdown.
Ukrainian school children practice writing. UNICEF. CC BY 2.0
For countries with adequate access to technology, UNICEF and Microsoft Corp. have introduced a global learning platform, Learning Passport. Students across the globe can resume their education through a country-specific portal containing curriculum in national languages. Ukraine and Kosovo are the first developing nations to educate students through Learning Passport. The content available for students includes digitized textbooks, instructional videos and support for children with learning disabilities. “Just as COVID-19’s impact has no borders, its solutions must not have borders, as it requires the collaboration across public and private sectors to ensure every student stays engaged and continues learning,” added Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. The platform will continue to bridge the learning poverty gap as schools reopen.
Due to the commitment of the United Nations, developing countries have established some semblance of normalcy for children affected by the pandemic. UNICEF has successfully engaged with 145 countries to formulate responses to school closures. UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition has also developed learning opportunities for marginalized youth across the world. Praising such initiatives, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed stated that “for millions of children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, school closures could mean the loss of a vital safety net – of nutrition, protection and emotional support. This is not a time to deepen inequalities. It is a time to invest in education’s power to transform.” Outside of the protection of school, children face exploitation, poverty and hunger. However, through radio, television and internet, innovative countries have brought education into the safety of a child’s home. Amid a global public health crisis, governments continue to band together to help vulnerable children regain a sense of peace.
Shannon Moran
is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion, and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.