Heading back to school in the pandemic
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…
