Thanks to lessons learned over the past two years, the majority of countries affected by the highly contagious Omicron variant are managing to keep schools open with enhanced health protocols, says the Paris-based UN agency, which notes, however, that “continued disruptions to education require bold measures to recover learning losses.”
According to new data released by UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Day of Education, schools are currently open in most countries (135), while in a small number (25), schooling has been temporarily suspended by extending the end-of-year holidays.
Since the emergence of the Omicron variant, only a dozen countries have decided to close schools and move to full distance learning rather than face-to-face learning, the organization notes in a press release.
The contrast is significant when compared with the same period last year, when schools were completely closed and teaching was entirely remote in 40 countries, it said.
“Education continues to be deeply disrupted by the pandemic, but all countries are now fully aware of the dramatic consequences of school closures, as expressed by UNESCO over the past two years. The progress of vaccination campaigns and the experience accumulated since the beginning of the pandemic are now leading to a new model based on the implementation of health protocols in schools,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, quoted in the press release.
A dozen countries studied, including Brazil, France, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Palestine and Ukraine, now use so-called “traffic light” surveillance systems that trigger measures based on the level of infection: wearing masks, hand washing, ventilation, but also distancing indoors and outdoors, or closing classes on a case-by-case basis, in order to avoid impacting all students in the same school. Countries such as Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom are also using massive rapid testing campaigns, the same source specifies.
Socio-psychological support, teacher support and financial resources are essential to effectively implement these protocols, notes UNESCO, which calls for intensified efforts to enable teachers to access vaccination.
In almost one in three countries, they are still not considered a priority audience, it is noted.
According to a large-scale study conducted in 11 countries by UNESCO and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, more than 50% of teachers say that students have not achieved expected levels over the past year, and the vast majority find it difficult to provide the necessary support to vulnerable students.
Furthermore, more than 50% of the students surveyed indicate that they are stressed by the changes that have occurred within their school, adds UNESCO.
Since the start of the pandemic, UNESCO, through its 175-member Global Education Coalition, has intervened in more than 100 countries to ensure educational continuity.
With its partners, the Organization has set up digital platforms, trained teachers in the use of distance learning tools and massively distributed dematerialized educational content, it is recalled.
2024-08-27 06:47:29