Combating COVID-19: Updates

Many of the world’s low- and middle-income countries are still in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact is already being felt. The risks posed by the coronavirus are especially high for millions of people who live in poverty or have only recently emerged from it. The World Bank Group is acting quickly to step up support as countries respond to the COVID-19 crisis and face a wide range of consequences, including the risk of global recession. (The World Bank)

With no precedent for such large-scale interruption, education leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries are learning from the region’s extensive experience in mass media education broadcasting. The World Bank organized a broad consultation to learn from this rich tradition and support LAC countries in responding to the current education crisis. The article features examples of the initiatives and programs that Latin American countries are activating in response to the crisis. (World Bank Blogs)

The last few weeks have witnessed heightened awareness of the threat from the outbreak of COVID-19. As the virus spreads around the world, we also need to understand what it means for the education systems of Europe and Central Asia. To date, almost all countries in this region have instructed their primary and secondary school systems to close completely or partially. The question is, from an educational perspective, what do these students do when schools are closed? Сan students actually benefit from technology at home? These and other questions are discussed in the article. (World Bank Blogs)

In the face of school closures affecting 1.5 billion students in 187 countries, Steering Committee members focused their recommendations on the urgency of equity measures, supporting teachers and averting the fallout from a financial crisis that could exacerbate learning inequalities and deepen the education crisis. (SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee)

While we know that the impact of this virus will be far-reaching, what might it mean in the longer term for education? For a while now, educators around the world have been talking about the need to rethink how we educate future generations. These topics are discussed in the article. (World Economic Forum)

UNESCO on 30 March hosted an online meeting of representatives of ministries in charge of science all over the world. Participants included 77 ministers, including governmental secretaries representing a total of 122 countries. The objective of the meeting was to exchange views on the role of international cooperation in science and increased investment in the context of COVID-19. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called on governments to reinforce scientific cooperation and integrate open science in their research programmes to prevent and mitigate global crises. (UNESCO)

In this collection of online learning best practices, tips and strategies to help succeed in your learning are shared, including ways to keep your mind and body healthy, effectively manage your time and minimize distractions, forge connections with your virtual learning community, get the most out of your learning, conquer logistics. (edX)

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) designed the free crash course “Be an Online Tutor in 24 Hours”, the Russian version of the course was produced with the help of UNESCO IITE to be used by educators in CIS countries.

The International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (ICHEI) under the auspices of UNESCO, together with partner universities and enterprises in Asia and Africa, co-launched the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE). IIOE is a robust platform that pools an array of quality course resources in ICT in Chinese, English and French, with an aim to promote teachers’ capability of employing ICT in teaching and learning. (UNESCO-ICHEI)

As COVID-19 forces school closures in 185 countries, Plan International and UNESCO warn of the potential for increased drop-out rates which will disproportionately affect adolescent girls, further entrench gender gaps in education and lead to increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy and early and forced marriage. (UNESCO)

Educators face a host of challenges when it comes to serving students with special needs, those who lack adult supervision, or those who are homeless, abused or caring for their siblings. The article provides four simple resources to bridge the digital divide and keep kids learning during the COVID-19 crisis. (ISTE)

For today’s students, the coronavirus outbreak means a huge loss of learning time, with potential repercussions for their schooling and careers in the years to come. But what predictions can be made about the financial impact on education more broadly? (UNESCO IIEP)