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As classes resume on October 5, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) emphasizes the important role that education plays in shaping the future of children, especially amid the Covid pandemic. 19.
The UN agency for the rights of the child praises the Philippine government’s decision to start classes with combined approaches to meet the specific needs of Filipino schoolchildren.
UNICEF reiterates that Covid-19 is not only a health crisis but also a learning crisis. The enormous scale to which school-age children have not been reached constitutes a global educational emergency. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come.
During times of crisis and emergencies like Covid-19, children experience stress, fear, and anxiety. Schools do much more than teach children to read, write, and count. Schools help bring a sense of normalcy to children’s lives.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed high risks to disadvantaged children who were already lagging behind in learning.
Equity must be placed at the center of educational interventions to provide the same learning opportunity to children who are most vulnerable and belong to the most marginalized communities. The inability to address these factors fuels inequality and reverses the progress made in recent decades.
Evidence shows that for the most marginalized and vulnerable, losing school can lead to child labor, teenage pregnancy and other situations that can keep them trapped in the cycle of poverty. Children with disabilities and children from indigenous groups, whose risk of being left behind has been magnified in this context, must also be prioritized to prevent negative outcomes that can last a lifetime. Postponing learning, despite the availability of alternative means, makes it less likely that they will ever return to school.
UNICEF, along with other partners, supported the Department of Education (DepEd) in the development of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan, as well as in capacity building to improve the online learning platform, DepEd Commons.
Rural multigrade schools benefited from technology packages, while young students received storybooks at home. Learning boxes and an online platform were provided for students of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to fulfill their right to have access to a free and comprehensive basic education. Technical support is ongoing for several webinars on parental involvement, child rights advocacy, psychosocial support, and learning opportunities for children with disabilities.
UNICEF remains committed to working with DepEd and other partners to defend the right of all children to education amid the pandemic. Part of its upcoming response initiatives includes support for DepEd’s cross-sector collaborations to promote children’s health and social protection, a community-based communication campaign to increase ALS enrollment, and the preparation of an Education Sector Plan. Core that will specify long-term strategies for inclusive quality. education.
On decisions involving the reopening of schools and holding face-to-face classes, Unicef continues to advocate for the gradual reopening of schools in low-risk areas, as has proven effective in other countries. Urges the government and authorities to analyze the benefits and risks in education, public health and socioeconomic factors, in the local context, using the best available evidence.
The best interests of all children must be paramount in all these decisions, as outlined in the Framework for the Reopening of Schools, issued jointly with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Program and the World Bank and the revised guidance from the World Health Organization, Unesco and Unicef on considerations for public health measures related to schools in the context of Covid-19. (PR)
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