children in Guyana could lose about one year of learning because of the closure of schools for face-to-face classes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And this, he said, could lead to significant challenges for the children in the future.
Similarly, UNICEF representative Nicolas Pron posited that children could be affected by significant learning losses if they did not return to schools, due to challenges in internet connectivity and accessing online classes.
Pron also reasoned that children were losing valuable social services offered through face-to-face schools such as much-needed socialisation, meals and care for their well-being.
In light of these concerns, the local authorities have been pushing for widespread COVID-19 vaccination to ensure that schools can be reopened for full face-to-face classes. Already, schools have been reopened but are operating on a rotational basis.
Importantly, the World Bank report acknowledged that in-person or face-to-face schooling is more common in the Caribbean and Central America. And, it stated that children from wealthier households were more likely to be engaged during the pandemic, ably adjusted to virtual schooling.
Contrastingly, the report stated, “Those from low socio-economic levels were particularly affected, which suggests long-lasting negative effects on social mobility and inequality.”
