No more excuses, keep schools open: Unicef

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on world leaders to keep schools open for children in an official statement. UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said, “no excuses. Keep schools open. Children can’t wait.”

"As the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues its spread all over the world, we urge governments to do everything in their power to keep it from further disrupting children's education," said Henrietta in a statement issued on Friday (January 28).

The UN body made the call while the government of Bangladesh closed all educational institutions from 21 January to 6 February in the wake of a rising trend of Covid-19 in the country.

However, to avert a learning catastrophe and put children back on the learning track, Unicef made several recommendations including a continuation of academic activities.

The Unicef statement said, "An estimated 616 million children are currently affected by full or partial school closures. We know that mitigation measures help keep schools open. We also know that investments in digital connectivity can help us make sure that no child is left behind.

We need bold action to enable every child to return to school. This includes providing comprehensive support with a particular focus on marginalised children in each community, such as catch-up classes, mental health and nutrition support, protection and other key services."

Henrietta Fore asked the nations to vaccinate teachers and school staff immediately.

"Teachers and school personnel should be fully supported and prioritised to receive Covid-19 vaccines, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated," he said.