Education and COVID-19 Response
Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Education
The countries in the East Asia and Pacific region were the first to be impacted by COVID-19 and the ensuing major public health emergency caused by the pandemic. This situation has affected education provision in all of the 27 countries supported by UNICEF programmes since late January 2020. Approximately 325 million children had been affected by COVID-19 closures and 80 million were not able to continue learning remotely throughout 2020.
Prolonged school closures predicted to result in a large increase in children and adolescents dropping out of school, late enrollment of young children, and significant learning loss.
The secondary impacts of the crisis, and especially the economic and financial fallout, are expected to negatively impact the education system in the mid- and long-term and put education gains achieved pre-COVID-19 at risk.
It’s time to shine: Building back better education systems
UNICEF is supporting the 27 countries in the East Asia and Pacific region to build back better, and create more resilient education systems impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
This means not only resuming services but also seizing the opportunity to reimagine education, harnessing technology and new partnerships and approaches to learning.
This includes closing the digital divide and increasing access to digital learning solutions and connectivity, to support the most marginalized children and youth with the skills they need for a brighter future.
Key areas of our work in education include:
- Safe school reopening: ensuring schools have protective measures in place to receive children including WASH facilities, nutritional support and PSS services.
- Continuity of learning: access to quality high-tech, low-tech and no-tech learning materials during school closures, continued learning during the pandemic
- Addressing learning loss: availability of essential learning recovery packages to mitigate learning loss.
- Building back better: increase education system resilience and better learning outcomes for children.
