UNESCO alarm bell: Destruction of generations due to the pandemic

UNESCO today warned of a 20% increase in their number students around the world who did not acquire the basic reading skills expected for their age in 2020 due to the partial closure of their schools due to the pandemic Covid-19.

“The number of children who have difficulty reading has increased from 100 million to 584 million last year, an increase of more than 20% and eliminating the progress made over the last two decades,” says a detailed UNESCO report that speaks of “generational destruction.”

This basic indicator measures every year the reading skills of the students (of the 2nd and 3rd grade of the Primary school), fundamental knowledge which, if not strong, can interrupt the student’s education in the long run.

UNESCO therefore fears “a decade” of upheaval due to the crisis and calls for the implementation of “special efforts to strengthen courses and strategies to fill the gaps”.

“Education must be a priority in response to the health crisis and in recovery plans,” said Ondre Azoule, UNESCO Director-General.

“International co-operation must be mobilized to implement this fundamental right to education and to ensure the continuation of learning,” he said ahead of a global meeting of education ministers on Monday, a year since the pandemic began.

“65% of governments in low-income countries have cut funding for education, compared with 35% in high-income countries,” the report said.

The largest “learning losses” are expected to be in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Central and South Asia.

Schools remain closed in 30 countries, including Mexico, Hungary and Saudi Arabia.

A majority of countries have chosen to partially open or conditionally open their schools, such as the United States, where angry parent protests have been held since the beginning of the year.

Schools are open in almost half of the world (107 countries), mainly in Africa, Asia and Europe.