School reopening is a must to avoid ‘generational catastrophe’: UNICEF

NEW DELHI: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) urged the decision makers and governments across the world to plan and prioritize safe reopening of schools. On July 12, UNICEF said that keeping the schools shut due to the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic might result in a ‘generational catastrophe’.

A tweet by UNICEF’s official handle stated that it has been over 18 months since the COVID-19 outbreak started, and around 156 million children are still out of school. It added, “Getting children back into classrooms cannot wait.”  The organisation had expressed concerns over nations allowing bars and restaurants to function, meanwhile keeping the schools shut.

UNICEF remarked in a statement that the losses that children and young people are incurring from not being in school may never be recouped. Issues like learning loss, mental distress, exposure to violence and abuse, missed school-based meals and vaccinations, and reduced development of social skills have arisen due to the shutting down of schools, the consequences of which will be faced by children in their academic achievement, social engagement, and physical and mental health. UNICEF stated that the children most affected by this are the youngest children for they are at key developmental stages, and are from low-resource settings, who do not have any access to remote learning tools. Therefore, school reopening cannot wait till cases go to zero.

Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Orgnisation, furthering the appeal of UNICEF, said that if teachers and adults working in schools are prioritized for vaccination and adequate preventative measures are in place, schools can safely reopen. Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, had also commented that districts could reopen schools in a staggered manner.