UNICEF warned on Tuesday that 11 months of Russian war in Ukraine had interrupted the education of more than five million children and called for more “support to ensure learning opportunities” in the country and in host countries.
On the date commemorating International Education Day, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called attention to the importance of “greater international support to ensure that children are no longer left behind”, recalling that “the impact of 11 months of conflict has compounded the two years of learning lost by the Covid-19 pandemic” and the consequences of “more than eight years of war for children in eastern Ukraine”.
“Schools and other preschool providers provide children with an essential sense of routine and security, and a lack of learning can have lifelong consequences,” Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, was quoted as saying. in the organization’s statement.
“There is no pause button. It is simply not an option to postpone children’s education and return to it when other priorities have been addressed, without jeopardizing the future of an entire generation,” he insisted.
According to the specialized agency of the UN, “the continuous use of explosive weapons, even in inhabited areas, has meant that thousands of schools, kindergartens and other educational facilities throughout the country have been damaged or destroyed” and, at the same time , “many parents and carers are reluctant to send children to school for safety reasons.”
In the statement, UNICEF states that “within Ukraine, it is working with the Government to help children return to school” – in classrooms, when deemed safe, or through ‘online’ or in the community. online, “if they face- face-to-face learning is not possible.”
The organization indicates that, until recently, “more than 1.9 million children had access to learning opportunities ‘online’ and 1.3 million children were enrolled in a hybrid system of face-to-face and ‘online’ classes”, but the recent bombing of power stations and other energy infrastructure “caused widespread blackouts and left almost all children in Ukraine without permanent access to electricity, which means that even attending virtual classes is an ongoing challenge.”
Outside of Ukraine, UNICEF continues, the situation “is equally worrying, as it is estimated that two out of three Ukrainian refugee children are not currently enrolled in the host country’s education system.”
According to the UN agency, several factors contribute to this scenario, including overloaded educational structures and “the fact that, at the beginning of the crisis and throughout the summer, many refugee families opted for ‘online’ learning in instead of attending local schools. as they hoped they could return home quickly.”
Inside Ukraine, the organization calls for an “end to attacks on educational facilities and other civilian structures, including energy infrastructure, on which children and families depend.”
In refugee-hosting countries, UNICEF calls for priority to be given to “the integration of Ukrainian refugee children into national education systems at all levels of education, especially in kindergarten and primary education, with qualified teachers, learning materials and spaces available to support their face-to-face learning, development and well-being”, reads the note.
“It is important that the corresponding authorities identify and overcome the regulatory and administrative barriers that prevent children from accessing formal education at all levels, and provide clear and accessible information to refugee families,” the organization stressed, adding that “ when accessing the education system cannot be immediately assured, UNICEF calls for multiple learning pathways to be provided, especially for children of secondary school age.”
The military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 by Russia in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14 million people -6.5 million internally displaced persons and almost eight million to European countries-, according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Right now, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
Source: TSF
