Learning of children in India affected due to Covid: UNICEF

‘80% kids in 14-18 years reported low levels of learning during pandemic’

NEW DELHI: At least 80 per cent of children in India between the age group of 14-18 years reported lower levels of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic than when physically at school, according to a UNICEF report.

Noting that repeated school closures have led to alarming inequities in learning opportunities for children in South Asia, the report by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) pointed out that 76 per cent of parents of students aged 5-13 years reported drop-in learning levels during remote learning.

School closures in South Asia have forced hundreds of millions of children and their teachers to transition to remote learning in a region with low connectivity and device affordability. Even when a family has access to technology, children are not always able to access it. As a result, children have suffered enormous setbacks in their learning journey, George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, said.

In India, 42 per cent of children between 6-13 years reported not using any type of remote learning during school closures.