Save Our Education: Protect every child’s right to learn in the COVID-19 response and recovery

In early April 2020, in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, an estimated 1.6 billion learners globally - 91% of the total - were out of school. For the first time in human history, an entire generation of children globally have had their education disrupted.

Before the pandemic struck, 258 million children were out of school, including 130 million girls. And even when children were at school, many were not learning. 53% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are not able to read well, increasing to 80% in low-income countries.

Schools not only provide children with a space to learn. For many children school is also a safe place where they can receive meals, access healthcare, including mental health services, and play with their friends. Teachers can be children's frontline responders and protectors. But with school closures, children are missing out on these essentials the school environment can offer.

As the virus begins to subside in some countries, early childhood centres and schools are beginning to reopen and children are returning. They face challenges in trying to learn in an environment where the virus still exists and where schools need to adapt to a new reality - physical distancing, learning in shifts, an increased focus on hygiene practices and concerns over children's wellbeing.