The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has recommended keeping schools open to avoid another educational disaster and put children back on the path to learning.
Quoted in a statement, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that “not depriving children of access to education is a top priority”, noting that 616 million children are currently affected by total or partial school closures.
She also highlighted the importance of investing in digital connectivity, which can help ensure that no child is left behind.
The UN agency has, in this context, recommended “bold measures” to allow every child to return to school. This includes providing comprehensive support with a focus on marginalized children in each community, such as remedial classes, mental health and nutrition support, protection and other key services.
Only preventive measures can keep schools open, stresses UNICEF, which recommends “immediately vaccinating teachers and school staff”.
For the agency, “teachers and school staff should be fully supported and given priority to receive vaccines against Covid-19, once frontline health staff and high-risk populations have been vaccinated”.