The new coronavirus pandemic has shown the world a picture of the inequality which promises to increase further amid the restrictions caused by the virus. According to data released by the United Nations (UN), until July this year schools in 160 countries were closed, affecting more than 1 billion students. About 40 million children around the world have had no access to pre-school education. Another issue is that even with distance learning thousands of students do not have access to this content because they do not have internet in their homes. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nation, said that “We are at a turning point for the world’s children and young people”.
In a video message released on social networks, António Guterres said that with the closure of schools the world faces “a generational catastrophe that could waste an incalculable human potential, undermine decades of progress and exacerbate rooted inequalities”. For example, in Brazil, according to a recent survey released by the Institute for Applied Economic Research, only 42% of the “D” and “E” classes are connected. 58% of students in almost 6 months of health crisis, did not have access to regular education.
The Unesco, in response to the adversities caused by the pandemic, launched the publication “Guidelines on open educational practices during the COVID-19 pandemic”, which presents innovative approaches to the use of resources and open educational practices for use throughout the world during the COVID-19 outbreak. The purpose of this publication is to seek a more inclusive and sustainable education during pandemic.
According with António Guterres “the decisions that governments and partners take now will have a lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people and on the countries’ development prospects in the coming decades”. In some countries where the pandemic is under control, such as Germany, schools have already been authorized to return following all the safety measures recommended by the World Health Organization. On the other hand, in Brazil, due to the high contagion rate of the virus, there is an intense discussion among authorities, parents, school and teachers about the risk of transmission of Covid-19 and the preparation of schools to monitor security measures for this return.
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