UNICEF…
On 1 March 2021, a view of UNICEF’s ‘Pandemic Classroom’ installation at United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America.
To call attention to the education emergency wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to and raise awareness of the need for governments to keep schools open, UNICEF unveiled ‘Pandemic Classroom’ – a model classroom made up of 168 empty desks, each seat representing one million children living in countries where schools have been almost entirely closed since the onset of lockdowns. “With every day that goes by, children unable to access in-person schooling fall further and further behind, with the most marginalized paying the heaviest price,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “No effort should be spared to keep schools open, or prioritise them in reopening plans.” On the installation, Fore added, “Behind each empty chair hangs an empty backpack – a placeholder for a child’s deferred potential … We do not want shuttered doors and closed buildings to obscure the fact that our children’s futures are being put on indefinite pause.” School closures have devastating consequences for children’s learning and wellbeing. The majority of schoolchildren worldwide rely on their schools as a place where they can interact with their peers, seek support, access health and immunization services and a nutritious meal. The longer schools remain closed, the longer children are cut off from these critical elements of childhood.
According to new data released today by UNICEF, schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost an entire year due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Furthermore, around 214 million children globally – or 1 in 7 – have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning. As students return to their classrooms, they will need support to readjust and catch up on their learning. UNICEF urges governments to prioritise every student’s uniqu
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