The impact of the epidemic on education is more severe than expected

The current generation of young people in school is at risk of losing nearly $ 17 trillion in revenue due to the closure of a school linked to the pandemic, more than initially expected, the World Bank and UN agencies have warned.

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That amounts to about 14% of current world GDP and is estimated to be more than $ 10 trillion by 2020, according to a report released Monday by Washington, a UNESCO and UNICEF organization.

In low- and middle-income countries, the percentage of children under the age of 10 who cannot read and understand plain text – which is already more than 50% before the epidemic – quickly reaches almost 70% due to the closure of classes and the poor quality of distance education.

“The COVID-19 crisis has crippled education systems around the world. Twenty-one months later, schools for millions of children will be closed and others will not be able to return to school, ”said Jaime Savedra, education manager at the World Bank.

“Losing the knowledge that his children experience is not morally acceptable,” he added. It “has devastating effects on the productivity, income and well-being of this generation of children and youth, their families and the global economy.”

The health crisis has exacerbated educational inequalities, affecting poorer children, people with disabilities or young children more severely, the report emphasizes.

The girls also faced more difficulties in obtaining distance education, “their practice was limited due to certain social norms, limited digital skills and access to equipment,” the document said.

A press release condemned international organizations for saying that less than 3% of these funds would be allocated to education if governments implemented extraordinary relief efforts to combat the epidemic.