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新指南为学校安全复课提供路线图 2020-05-02 UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP and World Bank today issued new guidelines on the safe reopening of schools amidst ongoing closures affecting nearly 1.3 billion students worldwide. The guidelines caution that the widespread closures of educational facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic present an unprecedented risk to children’s education and wellbeing, particularly for the most marginalized children who rely on school for their education, health, safety and nutrition. The guidelines offer practical advice for national and local authorities on how to keep children safe when they return to school. “While many students are falling behind in their learning journey because of prolonged school closures, the far from straightforward decision of when and how to reopen schools, should be a priority,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “Once there is a green light on the health front, a whole set of measures will need to be in place to ensure that no student is left behind. These guidelines provide all-round guidance for governments and partners to facilitate the reopening of schools for students, teachers and families. We share one goal, to protect and advance the right to education for every learner,” “Rising inequality, poor health outcomes, violence, child labour and child marriage are just some of the long-term threats for children who miss out on school,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “We know the longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to ever return. Unless we prioritize the reopening of schools – when it is safe to do so – we will likely see a devastating reversal in education gains.” The guidelines note that while there is not yet enough evidence to measure the impact of school closures on disease transmission rates, the adverse effects of school closures on children’s safety and learning are well documented. Gains made in increasing access to children’s education in recent decades risk being lost and, in the worse cases, reversed completely. “In the poorest countries, children often rely on schools for their only meal of the day. But with many schools now closed because of COVID, 370 million children are missing out on these nutritious meals which are a lifeline for poor families. They are also being denied the health support they normally get through school. This could do lasting damage, so when schools reopen it is critical that these meal programmes and health services are restored, which can also help to draw the most vulnerable children back to school,” said David Beasley, WFP Executive Director. The best interests of children and overall public health considerations – based on an assessment of the associated benefits and risks to education, public health and socio-economic factors – must be central to national and local authorities’ decisions to reopen schools, the guidelines say. Schools must look at how they can reopen better – with improved learning and more comprehensive support for children at the school including health, nutrition, psychosocial support and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. As countries grapple with when to reopen schools, UNESCO, UNICEF and WFP – as part of the Global Education Coalition – urge governments to assess the benefits of classroom-based instruction compared to remote learning, and the risk factors related to reopening of schools, noting the inconclusive evidence around the infection risks related to school attendance. Jointly presented for the first time during a meeting of education ministers convened by UNESCO yesterday on planning for the reopening of schools, the guidance includes: Policy reform: Policy implications address all dimensions of the guidelines, including clear policies for school opening and closure during public health emergencies, reforms needed to expand equitable access for marginalised and out of school children as well as strengthen and standardize remote learning practices. Financing requirements: Address the impact of COVID-19 on education and invest in strengthening education systems for recovery and resilience. Safe operations: Ensure conditions that reduce disease transmission, safeguard essential services and supplies and promote healthy behaviour. This includes access to soap and clean water for safe handwashing, procedures on when staff or students feel unwell, protocols on social distancing and good hygiene practices. Compensating learning: Focus on practices that compensate for lost instructional time, strengthen pedagogy and build on hybrid learning models such as integrating approaches in remote and distance education. This must include knowledge on disease transmission and prevention. Wellness and protection: Expand the focus on students’ well-being and reinforce the protection of children through enhanced referral mechanisms and the provision of essential school-based services including healthcare and school feeding. Reaching the most marginalised: Adapt school opening policies and practices to expand access to marginalised groups such as previously out-of-school children, displaced and migrant children and minorities. Diversify critical communications and outreach by making them available in relevant languages and in accessible formats. "Once schools begin to reopen, the priority becomes reintegrating students into school settings safely and in ways that allow learning to pick up again, especially for those who suffered the biggest learning losses. This is a critical moment as it is the launching pad for a new normal that should be more effective and equitable. To manage reopenings, schools will need to be logistically prepared with the teaching workforce ready. And they will need to have plans specifically for supporting learning recovery of the most disadvantaged students. The guidelines offer a framework for moving forward that the major UN agencies are aligned around," said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Global Director for Education. ***** Notes to editors About UNESCO: UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. About UNICEF: UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. About World Food Programme: The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. For further information, please contact: Georgina Thompson, UNICEF, +1 917 238 1559, gthompson@unicef.org David Orr, WFP, +39 340 246 6831, David.orr@wfp.org George Papagiannis, UNESCO: Tel: +33 1 45 68 17 06, g.papagiannis@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/new-guidelines-provide-roadmap-safe-reopening-schools 
Adverse consequences of school closures 2020-04-24 More on UNESCO's COVID-19 Education Response School closures carry high social and economic costs for people across communities. Their impact however is particularly severe for the most vulnerable and marginalized boys and girls and their families. The resulting disruptions exacerbate already existing disparities within the education system but also in other aspects of their lives. These include: Interrupted learning: Schooling provides essential learning and when schools close, children and youth are deprived opportunities for growth and development. The disadvantages are disproportionate for under-privileged learners who tend to have fewer educational opportunities beyond school. Poor nutrition: Many children and youth rely on free or discounted meals provided at schools for food and healthy nutrition. When schools close, nutrition is compromised. Confusion and stress for teachers: When schools close, especially unexpectedly and for unknown durations, teachers are often unsure of their obligations and how to maintain connections with students to support learning. Transitions to distance learnign platforms tend to be messy and frustrating, even in the best circumstances. In many contexts, school closures lead to furloughs or seperations for teachers. Parents unprepared for distance and home schooling: When schools close, parents are often asked to facilitate the learning of children at home and can struggle to perform this task. This is especially true for parents with limited education and resources. Challenges creating, maintaining, and improving distance learning: Demand for distance learning skyrockets when schools close and often overwhelms existing portals to remote education. Moving learning from classrooms to homes at scale and in a hurry presents enormous challenges, both human and technical. Gaps in childcare: In the absence of alternative options, working parents often leave children alone when schools close and this can lead to risky behaviours, including increased influence of peer pressure and substance abuse. High economic costs: Working parents are more likely to miss work when schools close in order to take care of their children. This results in wage loss and tend to negatively impact productivity. Unintended strain on health-care systems: Health-care workers with children cannot easily attend work because of childcare obligations that result from school closures. This means that many medical professionals are not at the facilities where they are most needed during a health crisis. Increased pressure on schools and school systems that remain open: Localized school closures place burdens on schools as governments and parents alike redirect children to schools that remain open. Rise in dropout rates: It is a challenge to ensure children and youth return and stay in school when schools reopen after closures. This is especially true of protracted closures and when economic shocks place pressure on children to work and generate income for financially distressed families. Increased exposure to violence and exploitation: When schools shut down, early marriages increase, more children are recruited into militias, sexual exploitation of girls and young women rises, teenage pregnancies become more common, and child labour grows. Social isolation: Schools are hubs of social activity and human interaction. When schools close, many children and youth miss out of on social contact that is essential to learning and development. Challenges measuring and validating learning: Calendared assessments, notably high-stakes examinations that determine admission or advancement to new education levels and institutions, are thrown into disarry when schools close. Strategies to postpone, skip or adminsiter examinations at a distance raise serious concerns about fairness, especialy when access to learning becomes variable. Disruptions to assessments results in stress for students and their families and can trigger disengagement. URL:https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/consequences 
UNESCO Futures of Education Commission urges planning ahead against increased inequalities in the aftermath of the Covid-19 2020-04-18 The COVID-19 health crisis has resulted in school and university closures affecting over 90% of the world’s students. Even more drastic disruptions loom on the horizon, according to an independent International Commission on the Futures of Education appointed by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in September 2019. Even when schools reopen, the emerging economic recession threatens to exacerbate inequalities and could rollback progress made in expanding educational access and improving the quality of learning globally, the commission warned during an online meeting on 9 April. Chaired by the President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde, the International Commission for the Futures of education brings together thought leaders from the worlds of politics, academia, civil society, education, and business. The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the importance of the Commission’s mandate to reflect on how knowledge and learning need to be rethought in an increasingly uncertain and fragile world. During its special meeting dedicated to the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission issued a Joint Statement on how education needs to be protected and transformed for our shared future and common humanity. In her remarks to the Commission, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay noted that “We now see that online distance learning cannot be the sole solution, as it tends to exacerbate already existing inequalities that are partly levelled in school settings. This will be of interest for this Commission whose task is rethinking the future of education, including appropriate articulation between distance and classroom learning”. President Sahle-Work said, “At my age, I have seen a multitude of effects caused by various crises. But with the current global pandemic, I am not sure we have drawn the pivotal lessons from the past required to mitigate the ill-effects of the disruptions caused to our lives. COVID-19 does not discriminate and is redefining our reality. We should respond with humility, solidarity and empathy.” According to the Commission, as humanity looks for ways to transform the world for the better after the worst health crisis in a century, we must rethink social policies, including education, and address long-standing issues of structural inequality, poverty and exclusion. An impending global recession is likely to have drastic consequences for the funding of education and other public services as well as for individuals’ lives and livelihoods. During this time, global commitments to education must be maintained and resources directed to those who have been hardest hit socially, economically and educationally. The Commission urges that crises—in global health and education—be addressed through solidarity, empathy and appreciation for our common humanity. See Statement by the Futures of Education URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-futures-education-commission-urges-planning-ahead-against-increased-inequalities 
"My Hero is You": Children's book to cope with COVID-19 2020-04-17 A new story book that aims to help children understand and come to terms with COVID-19 has been produced by a collaboration of more than 50 organizations working in the humanitarian sector, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Save the Children. News release of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee With the help of a fantasy creature, Ario, “My Hero is You, How kids can fight COVID-19!” explains how children can protect themselves, their families and friends from coronavirus and how to manage difficult emotions when confronted with a new and rapidly changing reality. The book – aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years old – is a project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, a unique collaboration of United Nations agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and international agencies providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings. During the early stages of the project, more than 1700 children, parents, caregivers and teachers from around the world shared how they were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. The input was invaluable to script writer and illustrator Helen Patuck and the project team in making sure that the story and its messages resonated with children from different backgrounds and continents. In order to reach as many children as possible, the book will be widely translated, with six language versions released today and more than 30 others in the pipeline. It is being released as both an online product and audio book. My Hero is You - How kids can fight COVID-19Download the book (English version): Click hereMy Hero is You: all language versions Quotes from collaborating partners World Health OrganizationDr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General“Previous humanitarian emergencies have shown us how vital it is to address the fears and anxiety of young people when life as they know it gets turned upside down. We hope that this beautifully-illustrated book, which takes children on a journey across time zones and continents, will help them to understand what they can do to stay positive and keep safe during the coronavirus outbreak.” UNICEFHenrietta Fore, Executive Director“All over the world, children’s lives have been completely upended – the majority of them living in countries with some form of restricted movement or lockdown. This wonderful book helps children understand and navigate this new landscape and learn how they can take small actions to become the heroes in their own stories.” UNHCRFilippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.“This is an important resource for children around the world with a strong message of inclusion at its heart – that this pandemic can only be beaten if everyone is included in its prevention and response. Children, including those who are refugees, displaced and stateless, can help too. No-one is protected unless we are all protected”. UNESCOAudrey Azoulay, Director General“Sharing facts and reliable information is vital to respond to COVID-19, and I wish to commend the creativity and passion of all artists, writers and publishers who find compelling ways to translate and craft stories and artwork so they can reach children and families to comfort and guide them through a distressing situation. UNESCO is proud to support this initiative and we see this as an example of the contribution of the artistic community to the well-being and resilience of all." Media Contacts:Alison Brunier, Communications Officer World Health Organization+41 22 791 4468, +41 79 701 9480bruniera@who.int URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/my-hero-you-childrens-book-cope-covid-19 
Teacher Task Force calls to support 63 million teachers touched by the COVID-19 crisis 2020-04-15 Around 63 million primary and secondary teachers around the world are affected by school closures in 165 countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They are on the frontlines of the response to ensure that learning continues for nearly 1.5 billion students, a number that is predicted to rise. Everywhere, together with school leaders, they have been rapidly mobilising and innovating to facilitate quality distance learning for students in confinement, with or without the use of digital technologies. They are playing a key role also in communicating measures that prevent the spread of the virus, ensuring that children are safe and supported. This unprecedented situation is putting teachers, students and families under stress. In some cases, teachers who may already be exposed to the virus themselves are trying to manage the anxiety of being told to work in situations where the COVID-19 risk is spreading. Others are dealing with the stress of of delivering quality learning with tools for which they have received little or no training or support. In many countries, contract teachers, substitute teachers and education support personnel risk seeing their contracts broken and their livelihoods disappear. The Teacher Task Force, an international alliance working for teachers and teaching, has issued a Call for Action on Teachers to ensure that teachers are protected, supported and recognised during the crisis. Leadership and financial and material resources for teachers are necessary to make sure that quality teaching and learning can continue at a distance during the crisis, and that recovery is rapid. The Task Force is calling on governments, education providers and funders – public and private – and all relevant partners to: Preserve employment and wages: This crisis cannot be a pretext to lower standards and norms, or push aside labour rights. The salaries and benefits of the entire teaching and education support staff must be preserved. Prioritise teachers’ and learners’ health, safety and well-being: Teachers need socio-emotional support to face the extra pressure being put on them to deliver learning in a time of crisis as well as provide support to their students in these anxious circumstances. Include teachers in developing COVID-19 education responses: Teachers will have a crucial role in the recovery phase when schools reopen. They must be included at all steps of education policy-making and planning. Provide adequate professional support and training: Little attention has been given to providing teachers with adequate training on how to ensure that learning continues. We must move swiftly to ensure that teachers receive the necessary professional support. Put equity at the heart of education responses: Greater support and flexibility will be needed for teachers who work in remote areas or with low-income or minority communities, to ensure that disadvantaged children are not left behind. Include teachers in aid responses: The Teacher Task Force urges financing institutions to help governments support education systems, particularly the teaching workforce’s professional development. Such support is particularly urgent in some of the world’s poorest countries, which are already struggling to meet education needs because of critical shortages of trained teachers. For more information, download the call in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. *** The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 is a global network of over 90 governments and some 50 international and regional organisations (including UN organisations, civil society organisations, the teaching profession and foundations) working to promote teachers and teaching issues. Its Secretariat is hosted by UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/teacher-task-force-calls-support-63-million-teachers-touched-covid-19-crisis 
WHO and Global Citizen announce: 'One World: Together at home' Global Special to support healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic 2020-04-09 ‘One World: Together At Home’ global special to air on Saturday, 18 April 2020 in celebration and support of healthcare workers, broadcast to feature real experiences from doctors, nurses and families around the world. Powered by commitments from supporters and corporate partners in benefit of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Broadcast special to also benefit local and regional charities that provide food, shelter and healthcare to those that need help most. Historic broadcast to be hosted by Jimmy Fallon of ‘The Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Kimmel of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and Stephen Colbert of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ Friends from Sesame Street Also on hand to help unify and inspire people around the world to take meaningful actions that increase support for the global COVID-19 response. Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, broadcast to include Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Stevie Wonder.------------------------------------------ Geneva/New York - International advocacy organization Global Citizen and the World Health Organization today announced the One World: Together At Home -- a globally televised and streamed special in support of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. One World: Together At Home will be broadcast live on Saturday, 18 April 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 a.m. GMT airing on ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks and platforms in Canada. Internationally, BBC One will run the program on Sunday 19 April 2020. Additional international broadcasters include beIN Media Group, MultiChoice Group and RTE. The virtual broadcast will show unity among all people who are affected by COVID-19 and will also celebrate and support brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines. Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen, said “As we honor and support the heroic efforts of community health workers, ‘One World: Together At Home’ aims to serve as a source of unity and encouragement in the global fight to end COVID-19. Through music, entertainment and impact, the global live-cast will celebrate those who risk their own health to safeguard everyone else’s.” One World: Together At Home will also be a multi-hour digital broadcast streaming online on multiple global platforms, including: Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, LiveXLive, Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, TIDAL, TuneIn, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo and YouTube. This digital special will include additional artists and performances from all over the globe as well as unique stories from the world's healthcare heroes. For information about how to tune in and take action, visit www.globalcitizen.org/togetherathome. “The World Health Organization is committed to defeating the coronavirus pandemic with science and public health measures, and supporting the health workers who are on the frontlines of the response,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “We may have to be apart physically for a while, but we can still come together virtually to enjoy great music. The ‘One World: Together At Home’ concert represents a powerful show of solidarity against a common threat.” “The United Nations system is fully mobilized: supporting country responses, placing our supply chains at the world’s disposal and advocating for a global cease-fire. We are proud to join forces with ‘One World: Together At Home’ to help suppress the transmission of the virus, minimize social-economic impacts on the global community and work together now to advance Global Goals for the future,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. “There is no greater case for collective action than our joint response to COVID-19 – we are in this together and we will get through this together." Last month in response to the global pandemic, Global Citizen launched an urgent campaign in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the UN Foundation. Calling on individuals to take action, and asking world leaders and corporations to support the response with sufficient resources, Global Citizens from over 130 countries around the world have taken tens of thousands of actions in support of the response fund. At this critical moment in history, Global Citizen is also calling on philanthropists to join and support immediate COVID-19 response efforts as part of the organization’s Give While You Live effort. Investors, changemakers and foundation leaders are being urged to actualize their giving and invest quickly in related efforts like stronger health systems and vaccine development. Over the past three weeks, the Together At Home series has featured performances from artists including, Chris Martin, John Legend, Charlie Puth, Common, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Niall Horan, Steve Aoki, Jennifer Hudson, Miguel, H.E.R., Anthony Hamilton, Rufus Wainwright, Hozier and Julianne Hough, among others in support of WHO and Global Citizen’s campaign. Commitments from supporters and corporate partners will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO to support and equip frontline healthcare workers around the world, with masks, gowns and other vital equipment, and to local charities that provide food, shelter, and healthcare to those that need it most. These local groups have been verified to ensure that they are helping communities impacted by COVID-19. For more information about Global Citizen and the campaign to support the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen. To learn more about WHO’s response to the pandemic and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19 and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. ### About Global Citizen:Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards, which can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. To date, the actions of our community, along with high-level advocacy efforts and work with partners, has resulted in commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $48 billion, affecting the lives of more than 2.25 billion people by 2030. For more information, visit www.GlobalCitizen.org. About the World Health Organization:The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency for health. It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its Member States usually through the Ministries of Health. The World Health Organization is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Learn more at www.who.int. About the United Nations Foundation:The UN Foundation brings together the ideas, people, and resources the United Nations needs to drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. To support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in its global work on COVID-19, UN Foundation helped launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund that has raised more than $100 million in less than two weeks for lifesaving work around the world. Learn more about the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund at www.covid19responsefund.org. Learn more about the UN Foundation at www.unfoundation.org. Follow @unfoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and @United Nations Foundation on Facebook. URL:https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-04-2020-who-and-global-citizen-announce-one-world-together-at-home-global-special-to-support-healthcare-workers-in-the-fight-against-the-covid-19-pandemic 
UNESCO launches CodeTheCurve Hackathon to develop digital solutions in response to COVID-19 2020-04-07 UNESCO, in partnership with IBM and SAP, has launched the CodeTheCurve Hackathon to support young innovators, data scientists and designers across the world to develop digital solutions to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from its terrible impact on the health of thousands so far, the COVID-19 crisis is having profound effects on societies, from reliable information sharing to education, with school closures currently affecting more than 1.5 billion students across the planet.“Solving this unprecedented global crisis will require the collective expertise and imagination of all of us,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. “We know that there are young women and men around the world with new and innovative ideas on how technology can help us handle the pandemic, but they need support to bring them to fruition. Through this Hackathon, in association with our partners, we hope to help make these ideas a reality.” CodeTheCurve is organized in two phases, beginning with a video competition for ideas, it will be followed by a Hackathon among 40 selected teams. The Hackathon will run until 30 April 2020. Participating teams will work on one of three main themes: 1) Ensuring continued learning 2) Data management and information, and 3) The present and the future: societal and health issues. “With so many young people currently at home due to COVID-19 school closures, 183 countries impacted, and a need for practical, fun, and virtual education, the IBM Z team is excited to launch CodeTheCurve with UNESCO, SAP, and our collaborators. Empowering youth with tech skills, entrepreneurial zest, professional development, and mentorship is really the secret sauce for inspiring the world to transition from consumers of technology into creators, makers, and doers empowered by technology,”says Melissa Sassi, Global Head – IBM Z Global Student Hub & IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator. Participating ‘Hackers’ will receive experience pitching their innovative solutions from relevant and supportive organizations that have been brought together under the umbrella of CodeTheCurve. The selected teams will be able to benefit from a series of webinars and activity kits offered by partner organizations, such as IBM, SAP, FOSSASIA, and iHackOnline. “During these unprecedented times, we need to empower young innovators as they engage in finding solutions to this crisis,” says Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Africa Code Week co-founder at SAP. “True to SAP’s vision of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives, our colleagues will resolutely support the CodeTheCurve hackathon by mentoring participants.” The CodetheCurve initiative is supported by UNESCO, IBM and SAP, and the generous contribution of TruChallenge.co.uk, AngelHack, iHackOnLine and with the collaboration of Pamplemousse Communication. The initiative builds upon UNESCO’s long-standing efforts to foster digital skills and professional development competencies for youth, with a particular focus on young women software developers and designers. YOUR IDEAS CAN CHANGE OUR FUTURE!PARTICIPATE IN THE CodeTheCurve HACKATHON!REGISTER ON CODETHECURVE.ORG: http://codethecurve.org Media contactBernard Giansetto b.giansetto@unesco.org(link sends e-mail) +33 (0)1 45 68 17 64More information on UNESCO information programme URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-launches-codethecurve-hackathon-develop-digital-solutions-response-covid-19 
Covid-19 school closures around the world will hit girls hardest 2020-04-02 By Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, and Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, Chief Executive Officer, Plan International. 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. Out of the total population of students enrolled in education globally, UNESCO estimates that over 89% are currently out of school because of COVID-19 closures. This represents 1.54 billion children and youth enrolled in school or university, including nearly 743 million girls. Over 111 million of these girls are living in the world’s least developed countries where getting an education is already a struggle. These are contexts of extreme poverty, economic vulnerability and crisis where gender disparities in education are highest. In Mali, Niger and South Sudan — 3 countries with some of the lowest enrolment and completion rates for girls — closures have forced over 4 million girls out of school. For girls living in refugee camps or who are internally displaced, school closures will be most devastating as they are already at a disadvantage. Refugee girls at secondary level are only half as likely to enrol as their male peers. We are only beginning to understand the economic impacts of COVID-19, but they are expected to be widespread and devastating, particularly for women and girls. In the Global South, where limited social protection measures are in place, economic hardships caused by the crisis will have spill-over effects as families consider the financial and opportunity costs of educating their daughters. While many girls will continue with their education once the school gates reopen, others will never return to school. Education responses must prioritize the needs of adolescent girls' at the risk of reversing 20 years of gains made for girls’ education. Lessons from the Ebola crisis “Schools are left empty as an abandoned nest. I am so sad. Being at school can help to protect girls from pregnancy and marriage. Many of my friends are getting pregnant and I realised some have been forced into early marriage.”Christiana, 17, Sierra Leone (during the Ebola Crisis of 2014) While the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented, we can look to the lessons learnt from the Ebola epidemic in Africa. At the height of the epidemic, 5 million children were affected by school closures across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries hardest hit by the outbreak. And poverty levels rose significantly as education was interrupted. In many cases, school drop-outs were caused by an increase in domestic and caring responsibilities and a shift towards income generation. This means that girls’ learning at home was limited, as shown by Plan International’s analysis. In villages with established “girls’ clubs” and existing sensitization efforts to promote girls’ education, fewer girls experienced adverse effects and were more likely to continue their learning. Several studies found that the closure of schools increased girls vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse both by their peers and by older men, as girls were often are at home alone and unsupervised. Transactional sex was also widely reported as vulnerable girls and their families struggled to cover basic needs. As family breadwinners perished from Ebola and livelihoods were destroyed, many families chose to marry their daughters off, falsely hoping this would offer them protection. In Sierra Leone, adolescent pregnancy increased by up to 65% in some communities during the Ebola crisis. In one study, most girls reported this increase was a direct result of being outside the protective environment provided by schools. Many of these girls never returned to the classroom, largely due to a recently revoked policy preventing pregnant girls from attending school. Applying lessons learnt from Ebola to COVID-19 For girls like Christiana, who have lived or are living through a crisis, education is a lifeline, offering protection from violence and exploitation and providing them with skills and hope for a brighter future. As governments prepare for indefinite school closures, policy makers and practitioners can look to lessons from past crises to address the specific challenges faced by girls. We therefore call on governments to protect progress made in favour of girls’ education through these six gender-responsive, evidence-based and context-specific actions: Leverage teachers and communities: Work closely with teachers, school staff and communities to ensure inclusive methods of distance learning are adopted and communicated to call for continued investments in girls’ learning. Community sensitization on the importance of girls’ education should continue as part of any distance learning programme. Adopt appropriate distance learning practices: In contexts where digital solutions are less accessible, consider low-tech and gender-responsive approaches. Send reading and writing materials home and use radio and television broadcasts to reach the most marginalised. Ensure programme scheduling and learning structures are flexible and allow self-paced learning so as not to deter girls who often disproportionately shoulder the burden of care. Consider the gender digital divide: In contexts where digital solutions to distance learning and internet is accessible, ensure that girls are trained with the necessary digital skills, including the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online. Safeguard vital services: Girls and the most vulnerable children and youth miss out on vital services when schools are closed, specifically school meals and social protection. Make schools access points for psychosocial support and food distribution, work across sectors to ensure alternative social services and deliver support over the phone, text or other forms of media. Engage young people: Give space to youth, particularly girls, to shape the decisions made about their education. Include them in the development of strategies and policies around school closures and distance learning based on their experiences and needs. Ensure return to school: Provide flexible learning approaches so that girls are not deterred from returning to school when they re-open. This includes pregnant girls and young mothers who often face stigma and discriminatory school re-entry laws that prevent them from accessing education. Allow automatic promotion and appropriate opportunities in admissions processes that recognise the particular challenges faced by girls. Catch-up courses and accelerated learning may be necessary for girls who return to school. More information on UNESCO’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.More information on Plan International’s response to the COVID-19 crisis For UNESCO media enquiries please contact:Cynthia GuttmanEmail: C.Guttman@unesco.org(link sends e-mail)Phone: +33 1 45 68 08 56 For Plan International media enquiries please contact:Miranda Atty, Global Press OfficerEmail: miranda.atty@plan-international.org(link sends e-mail)Phone: +44 (0) 7989065738 URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-school-closures-around-world-will-hit-girls-hardest 
UNESCO rallies international organizations, civil society and private sector partners in a broad Coalition to ensure #LearningNeverStops 2020-04-01 At a time of when 87% of the world’s student population is affected by COVID-19 school closures, UNESCO is launching a global education coalition to support countries in scaling up their best distance learning practices and reaching children and youth who are most at risk. Over 1.5 billion learners in 165 countries are affected by COVID-19 school closures. “Never before have we witnessed educational disruption on such a scale,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “Partnership is the only way forward. This Coalition is a call for coordinated and innovative action to unlock solutions that will not only support learners and teachers now, but through the recovery process, with a principle focus on inclusion and equity.” Since closing schools to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have been deploying distance learning solutions and grappling with the complexity of provisioning education remotely, from delivering content and supporting teachers to providing guidance to families and addressing connectivity challenges. Equity is the paramount concern because closures disproportionately hurt vulnerable and disadvantaged students who rely on schools for a range of social services, including health and nutrition. “We must speed up the ways we share experience, and help the most vulnerable, whether or not they have internet access”, said Angelina Jolie, UN High Commission for Refugees Special Envoy, who partnered with UNESCO in the establishment of the Coalition. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohamed expressed the UN’s full commitment to the Coalition, warning that “for millions of children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, school closures could mean the loss of a vital safety net – of nutrition, protection and emotional support.” She added, “This is not a time to deepen inequalities. It is a time to invest in education’s power to transform. As we embark on the decade of action of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, our responsibility as a global community is to leave absolutely no one behind.” Multilateral partners, including the International Labor Organization, the UN High Commission for Refugees, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the World Food Programme and the International Telecommunication Union, as well as the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie) the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Asian Development Bank have joined the Coalition, stressing the need for swift and coordinated support to countries in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of school closures, in particular for the most disadvantaged. The private sector, including, Microsoft, GSMA, Weidong, Google, Facebook, Zoom, KPMG and Coursera have also joined the Coalition, contributing resources and their expertise around technology, notably connectivity, and capacity strengthening. Companies using learner and educational data have committed to uphold ethical standards. Philanthropic and non-profit organizations, including Khan Academy, Dubai Cares, Profuturo and Sesame Street are also part of the Coalition, mobilizing their resources and services to support schools, teachers, parents and learners during this time of unparalleled educational disruption. Media outlets are also invited to join the Coalition, as has done the BBC World Service as part of its commitment to supporting young people in lockdown across the globe. The BBC will be producing advice, stories, and media education materials to help isolated young people understand how the Coronavirus may affect them. With its emphasis on equity and gender equality, the Global Education Coalition will respond to countries’ specific needs, as envisaged during the meetings of Education Ministers convened by UNESCO. It will endeavor to match needs with free and secure solutions, bringing partners together to address connectivity and content challenges among others. It will provide digital tools and learning management solutions to upload national digitized educational resources, and curate resources for distance learning and strengthen technical expertise using a with a mix of technology and community approaches, depending on local contexts. In all interventions, special attention will be placed on ensuring data security and protecting the privacy of learners and teachers. Specifically, the Coalition aims to: Help countries in mobilizing resources and implementing innovative and context-appropriate solutions to provide education remotely, leveraging hi-tech, low-tech and no-tech approaches Seek equitable solutions and universal access Ensure coordinated responses and avoid overlapping efforts Facilitate the return of students to school when they reopen to avoid an upsurge in dropout rates “We are working together to find a way to make sure that children everywhere can continue their education, with special care to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, in a video message marking the Coalition’s launch, together with UNESCO Director-General and other personalities. **** Media contact: Clare O’Hagan, UNESCO Press Service, c.o-hagan@unesco.org+33 01456 81729 URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-rallies-international-organizations-civil-society-and-private-sector-partners-broad 
COVID-19 : UNESCO convenes Education Webinar on equity in schooling 2020-03-27 It takes a village to educate a child, and even more so in times of distance learning, when schooling goes virtual. A whole community approach and stronger partnerships are needed to make distance learning inclusive: this was one of the key takeaways from UNESCO’s first webinar on the educational response to Covid-19, which drew government officials, practitioners and experts from over 50 countries on 20 March 2020. “Scientific knowledge and global collaboration are evolving more rapidly than we have ever seen,” said Ms Catherine Kane from the World Health Organization (WHO) who set the stage for the webinar. “We cannot emphasize enough the importance of partnerships, especially between education, labour and health to keep our population healthy, educated and active.” To address equity challenges, she recommended learning from approaches used in emergency situations, including measures to ensure that students who rely on school meals do not go hungry when schools close. Restore a sense of communityIn light of the gravity of the situation, Italy’s advisor to the Minister of Education, Professor Alberto Melloni, highlighted the importance of a whole community approach. “We are working with a real tragedy. Teachers are the ones who can connect online and offline to restore a sense of community”. With over 8 million students out of school, the country is using a mix of approaches to leave no one behind and support families. To ensure that learning continues for all, the Ministry of Education announced an 85 million euro investment to deliver e-learning devices to the most disadvantaged students. In Rwanda, where schools have been closed for a week, the Government is grappling with the surge in demand for e-learning platforms and connectivity problems. “We are dealing with issues of equity and have introduced zero-rate bandwidth fees so parents don’t have to pay,” said Ms. Christine Niyizamwiyitira, Head of Department of ICT in Education at the Rwanda Education Board. “We are also using different tools, from on-line platforms to radio and television broadcasting, including on STEM subjects.” The Board is developing learning guides to support students, parents, and teachers. No substitute for a good teacherThe teacher’s central role in guaranteeing education continuity was stressed by the Director-General of France’s National Center for Distance Education (CNED), Mr Michel Reverchon-Billot. CNED’s national digital learning platform, My Class at Home is being used across the country, while the government is also providing devices and support to the 5% of students without internet access. The role of the Ministry of Education in promoting collaboration between government, enterprises, universities, and schools was highlighted also by China’s Director-General of Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Mr Chaozi Lei, and Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, Mr Ronghuai Huang. In this regard, the Ministry of Education has worked with education companies to provide free services and online curriculum resources for K12 students, universities, and the public. Training is also provided to help teachers adapt to the new learning environment and to master online teaching skills. Through a recent study, the Ministry of Education found that 80% of teachers are ready to use more ICT s in their work going forward. Integrating different digital solutions to ensure a seamless learning experience was emphasized by Mr Hwansun Yoon from the Republic of Korea’s Education & Research Information Service (KERIS). KERIS runs a thematic e-portal that provides open educational content, an e-classroom space (E-Hakseupteo) where students receive personalized assistance, a platform for teachers to exchange on lesson plans and activities (School-On), as well as a Digital Textbook platform. Content is aligned with the national curriculum across all platforms from on-line to TV and radio. Furthermore, students are learning how to recognize fake news on the pandemic as part of their school activities via both digital and radio platforms. The role of multilateralismThe webinar series is part of UNESCO’s COVID-19 Education Response to enable peer learning and sharing of experiences among all countries. “Against a global pandemic, we all realize the value of international cooperation, and the need to come together to share best practices and lessons learnt – across the globe, in Belgium, in Finland, in the Seychelles, countries are putting in place solutions to ensure learning continuity for all. Ministers have to address very specific situation and there is no “one size fits all” approach. We all need to learn from each other, and we can build a stronger education system out of this crisis” said Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-unesco-convenes-education-webinar-equity-schooling