Education for sustainable development

THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to education systems worldwide, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries. Closure of schools and other learning centres have impacted 94% of the world’s student population, with up to 99% in low and lower middle income countries, according to the United Nations in its “Policy Brief: Education During Covid-19 and Beyond”.

Last year, UN secretary-general António Guterres called on governments to “build back better” after the crisis, including our learning systems. With the closure of schools, the pandemic has exposed disparities in education, flaws in remote learning, cost of the digital divide, and the essential role schools play in the health and well-being of students.