Education

COVID-19 is the first truly global crisis we have seen in our lifetime. No matter where we live, the pandemic affects every person – children most of all. Millions are missing out on basic health services, education and protection simply because they were born into poverty or because of their ethnicity, religion or race. COVID-19 has widened this…, For vaccines to work, we must build trust,   History and science tell us vaccines are the best hope we have of ending this virus and rebuilding our lives and our livelihoods. Yet, as Ridhi reminds us, there is a real risk the What you need to know about a COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 vaccines will not reach all who need it. Vaccine hesitancy will have a profound effect on our ability to…, Bridging the digital divide can help bring quality education for all,   Kamogelo is right. During the peak of school closures in early 2020, about 30 per cent of the world’s schoolchildren were unable to access remote learning. In fact, only just over half of households in a majority of countries around the world have access to the internet. These are the same children who are already unlikely to have access to…, COVID-19 has unlocked attention on global youth mental health,   Tulika is right: mental health is a big deal – just as important as physical health. This is especially true in childhood and adolescence, when we lay the foundations for our lifelong cognitive and learning ability, our emotional intelligence and our resilience in the face of stress. Again, the pandemic has highlighted just how vulnerable…, COVID-19 does not discriminate, but our societies do,   The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone on the planet, but it is not affecting us all equally. In too many countries, your ethnicity, your colour or your wealth, may make you more likely to suffer the consequences. For example , in the United States, African Americans represent 13 per cent of the population but roughly one fourth of COVID…, Climate change is the other planetary crisis that won’t wait,   COVID-19 has taught us that planetary problems require planetary solutions. No one suffers more from a change in climate than a child. Children are vulnerable to the changes in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. We know children are more vulnerable to life-threatening water and food scarcity and waterborne diseases…

CARACAS, Venezuela – After more than 20 years working as a teacher, Alibert is familiar with the ups and downs that come with her profession, including the myriad challenges of providing an education against the backdrop of an unfolding economic and political crisis. But nothing could have prepared her for the massive upheaval and uncertainty…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education around the world. School closures due to the pandemic have affected around 1.5 billion children. Teachers have gone above and beyond to support their students and to help them keep learning by whatever means possible. Many have embraced new ways of teaching, including online, over radio, television or…, Afghanistan, “Let’s come together, help our children and provide them with quality education.” Latifa Shafahi is a teacher in Bamyan, Afghanistan, where children are coping with the threat of conflict and COVID-19. Latifa notices the psychological impact these have on her students and tries to make classes engaging and friendly. Under national school safety…, Ghana, “I do not want the children to suffer the same as I did.” Musah Samata could not complete her basic education while growing up in Ghana. Today, as a volunteer mother she helps children learn during the pandemic by assisting in classrooms and care centres. Her goal is to ensure children don't lose out on their education during school closures. In…, Turkey, “Their desire to learn … [was] the most important factor encouraging me to continue my effort.” Aylin Tufan is a guidance counsellor in Turkey who helps Syrian refugee children and adolescents through issues such as discrimination, child labour and child marriage. When she heard that one of her students was being forced into marriage, she was able…, Uganda, “We try to get the children to inquire and discover on their own.” When schools closed in Uganda, school teacher Irene Nyangoma saw some of the challenges parents were facing in keeping children learning. She thought that seeing teachers on a television screen might help them stay engaged and helped launch a TV show to help her students learn.…

COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions. But despite school closures and other lockdown measures, the young people in this video series are finding new and interesting ways to stay engaged whilst coping with home-schooling and staying indoors. From dance to sport, from cooking to art, they are turning to their passions and interests to stay …, Uruguay: Roni’s banana bread recipe, Roni, 12, lives in Montevideo, Uruguay with his parents, two siblings and their dog. He is a self-taught skateboarder who loves to cook in his spare time. He finds the best thing about the pandemic is that he has a lot of free time to cook, skateboard and read. His advice for other children during the pandemic: “Do something you’ve never done…, Indonesia: Crafting characters with Quinsha, Quinsha, 9, feels like she’s at school even though she’s at home thanks to her family. Every day she and her little brother have school lessons with their mom who is also now their teacher. When she’s done with learning, she spends time with her family, playing with her brother or preparing meals with her grandma who says it’s like making crafts…, Brazil: Dancing with Gabriel and Sofia, Gabriel, 15, and Sofia, 11, live with their large family in Curitiba, Brazil. They both love to dance and watch Youtube videos to learn and improve their moves. It inspires them to improvise and create more. They keep busy and try to stay away from worrying by being close to their family, playing with their dog, learning online and dance. “I know…, Egypt: Basketball and pancakes with Hala, From her room, Hala, 12, makes basketball videos with her friends for TikTok. They invent new moves and pretend they are training on the court. She has also learned cooking, yoga and gymnastics during the lockdown. She finds self-reliance to be the best part of learning at home. Her advice to anyone upset about being at home: “Do things that make…, Greece: Zack’s lesson in time-management, For Zack, 18, knowledge is everything in an ever-changing world. After arriving from Ghana on a boat, he embraced school and learning. But coronavirus and the lockdown changed everything and he has had to look for new ways to stay focused and motivated. He likes to plan his day and works towards his future goal of owning his own organization that…

An entire generation has seen its education interrupted. At the height of nation-wide lockdowns in April, approximately 91 per cent of the world's students in more than 194 countries were out of school. This has caused immeasurable disruption to the lives, learning and wellbeing of children around the world.   UNICEF is working together with…, Cambodia, Back to school in Cambodia: A student reads an open book on her class desk A student at Preah Norodom Primary School in Phnom Penh. Children started returning to schools on 7 September with both teachers and students wearing masks, observing physical distancing and following safe practices. UNICEF has been working with Cambodia’s Ministry of…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Back to school in DRC: A student wearing a face mask writes her exam in class. Elodie, a final year secondary school student in Kinshasa, takes her exam while wearing a mask. On 10 August, schools across the Democratic Republic of the Congo reopened to allow final year students to take their exams. Through the “Masks made in DRC” initiative,…, Georgia, Back to school in Georgia: a teacher faces a student in a sparse classroom. Despite physical distancing and regular temperature-checks, there is a mood of celebration and relief among children, teachers and parents alike on the first day of school in the town of Sagarejo. The new academic year began on 15 September in Georgia. UNICEF and other…, Ghana, Back to school in Ghana: school students wearing face masks cycling to school Students in Ghana wearing face masks on their way to school on 22 July. UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education to develop safety precautions for the reopening of schools. As part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that education continues, final-year students were…, Jordan, Back to school in Jordan: students stand around a flag during morning assembly Girls on their first day back to school at Aisha bent Al Mo’meneen school in Amman. Schools reopened in Jordan from 31 August for the first time since closing in March due to COVID-19 prevention measures. UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education’s Safely Back to…, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Students entering the gates of their school On 18 May, Lycée de Vientiane, a public school in Vientiane, Lao PDR’s capital, welcomed back over 900 of its students. After a two-month-long school closure in Lao PDR and with no new cases reported in over a month, the Ministry of Education issued Safe Schools guidance for schools to reopen in phases.…, Mauritania, Back to school in Mauritania: students raising their hands in a classroom Students attend classes at the Bekar O Soueid Ahmed school, south of the capital Nouakchott. After several months of school closures, students in Mauritania returned to classrooms at the beginning of September. Among the precautions put in place by the Ministry of Health are…, Mongolia, Back to school in Mongolia: a girl getting her temperature checked at school A student gets her temperature checked before the start of class. Schools and kindergartens in Mongolia reopened on 1 September with prevention and precautionary measures including restrictions on the number of children in each classroom to no more than 20 pupils and…, Sri Lanka, Back to school in Sri Lanka: students washing their hands at the school taps Students wearing facemasks wash their hands at their school in Sri Lanka. Schools reopened on 6 July for certain grades after being closed since March. As part of our going ongoing COVID-19 response work for schools in Sri Lanka, UNICEF supports the Government in…

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to education, with a peak of more than 1.5 billion children in 190 countries out of school. During this time, teachers have gone to incredible lengths to help their students keep learning. To every teacher around the world, we have two words for you: Thank you! From children and young people in Bhutan…, We asked children what they're looking forward to most about going back to school,   We asked 14 children what they were looking forward to most about going back to school after #COVID19 closures. Their answers are adorable. pic.twitter.com/re6VghnoA4 — UNICEF (@UNICEF) September 7, 2020

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is of a scale most people alive today have never seen. Worldwide, the outbreak is claiming lives and livelihoods as health systems buckle, education is disrupted and families struggle to stay afloat.  Communities across the globe are rising to the challenge – from health and social workers risking their…, What is UNICEF doing to support children during COVID-19? , Our response to the coronavirus disease must reimagine a world fit for every child. History has shown that UNICEF, together with partners, has the experience and reach to improve the lives of millions of children and their families. We were there for the post-World War II refugee crisis – and have responded to every natural disaster, armed…

Focus on reimagining education and joint efforts to support refugee children and host communities

  As people around the world are taking precautions to protect themselves, their families and their communities from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) it’s also important that children can continue to learn, and that they can do so in an environment that is welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive to all. Schools and teachers play a vital…, Preschool, Focus on communicating good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of infection here . One of the best ways to keep children safe from coronavirus and other diseases is to simply encourage regular handwashing, for at least 20 seconds. It doesn't need to be a scary…, Primary school, Make sure to listen to children’s concerns and answer their questions in an age appropriate manner; don’t overwhelm them with too much information. Encourage them to express and communicate their feelings. Discuss the different feelings they may be experiencing and explain that these are normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Emphasize that…, Lower secondary school, Make sure to listen to students’ concerns and answer their questions. Emphasize that students can do a lot to keep themselves and others safe. For example, introduce the concept of physical distancing, and focus on good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of…, Upper secondary school, Make sure to listen to students’ concerns and answer their questions. Emphasize that students can do a lot to keep themselves and others safe. For example, introduce the concept of physical distancing, and focus on good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of…

NIKOZI, Georgia – Mate’s face is beaming as he shows off his climbing trophies. “I’m really good at it. Sometimes even better than my brother. Look how many prizes I’ve won,” he says, gesturing towards the collection of shiny awards in a corner of his home in the village of Nikozi.   Mate and his older brother Giorgi cleaned up in the local…

PANDAYACU, Ecuador – Raiza is starting her morning the way she usually does. After waking up at 6 a.m. she heads to the family dining room where her mother, Silvia, has prepared breakfast: chucula , a sweet plantain smoothie that’s popular in the Ecuadorian Amazon. After breakfast, Raiza, 11, helps her mother with the dishes before feeding the…

Even with the unprecedented challenges created by COVID-19 , it’s important that children understand how they can have a positive impact in the world and to talk with them about what they can do to help protect and shape the planet’s future. The Sustainable Development Goals – also known simply as the Global Goals – provide a blueprint for…, Watch the World’s Largest Lesson: