AS we continue to take steps to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, commonly referred to as COVID-19, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced that schools will remain closed until further notice. Citizens would be aware that following the discovery here of the first case of COVID-19, on March 11, 2020, the MOE took the decision to close schools until after the Easter vacation period. As the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to escalate, with Guyana increasingly recording more cases of the virus, the MOE has taken the decision to extend the closure of schools until such time as appropriate for them to be reopened.

In the meantime, parents are advised to continue making use of the numerous Online resources made available to ensure your child’s continuous learning. For the most up-to-date information, parents and students are advised to visit the MOE’s website and Facebook page for links to Online learning resources. Although parents and students might be concerned about the implications of the extended school closures, at this point in the pandemic, there appears to be no other responsible option.

Parents must, however, be reminded that formal learning is no substitute for the informal learning that takes place outside of the classroom. Whilst children are home for this extended period, it might be a good idea to create projects for them to undertake in order to learn new and useful life skills. For example, we are increasingly receiving guidance geared at encouraging citizens to start their own kitchen gardens, in order to ensure food security at this time. This could be the ideal project for children and young people, who have become increasingly urbanised in their interactions with nature and the natural world. Gardening is a fantastic outdoor activity, where children and young people are able to learn valuable life skills and take on real responsibilities.

According to Human Rights Watch, there are approximately 1.5 billion students who are currently out of school. Owing to widespread job and income loss, coupled with economic insecurity, there is likely to be increased rates of child labour, sexual exploitation, teenage pregnancy and child marriage. We have already covered the impact on families during the current pandemic, and the surge in domestic violence, coupled with the stresses on families, especially those living in quarantine, or lockdowns, and the hugely detrimental impact on children who might be more exposed to traumatic incidents. According to Human Rights Watch, as the global death toll from COVID-19 increases, there will be more children who become orphaned and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Furthermore, child abuse is also less likely to be detected during COVID-19, as child protection agencies have reduced monitoring to avoid spreading the virus, and teachers are also less able to detect signs of ill-treatment, as schools are closed.

“The risks posed by the COVID-19 crisis to children are enormous,” says Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Governments need to act urgently to protect children during the pandemic, but also to consider how their decisions now will best uphold children’s rights after the crisis ends.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the COVID-19 crisis will mean limited or no education, and falling behind their peers. More than 91% of the world’s students are out of school, as they have been closed in over 188 countries around the world. As we have already seen, the COVID-19 crisis is exposing the disparities in nations’ preparedness to ensure students continuous educational development. The infrastructural disparities are also stark, with many children not having access to the Internet and available learning resources. Similarly, schools are not equipped to deliver Online learning, as they do not have the technology or infrastructure. According to Human Rights Watch, nearly half of the world has no Internet access.

Human Rights Watch has made a number of recommendations to governments, in order to safeguard children’s rights at this time. They include, but are not limited to: Prioritising efforts to continue education for all children, using available technology; providing economic assistance to low-income families; and expanding public education and awareness campaigns/services for children at risk of violence and sexual exploitation.

As the world continues its fight against COVID-19, we must ensure that those who are most vulnerable within our society are adequately protected. The government is, therefore, urged to provide further support in the way of creating better access to educational materials, and also financial relief for low-income families who are already vulnerable at this time.