UNESCO ADVICES GOVERNMENTS HOW TO OPEN SCHOOLS

By Jaramogi Oging', Nairobi KENYA

Hundreds of millions of students worldwide are under COVID-19 lockdown in their respective families and in several countries, it is not clear when a conducive environment will allow schools to reopen. 

Ahead of that new normal, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proposes that to reopen, governments should improve quality of education and a comprehensive support for  health and nutritional programs.

They should also improve psychosocial support and make an adjustment on sanitation and hygiene facilities.

UNESCO is aware of the context where most schools would open, where some may start when COVID-19 is still a threat to some extent.

Schools should ensure safety and fight of COVID -19  by involving children in washing hands properly, protocols on social distancing, and other best hygiene best practices.

Beyond that, teachers are required to teach students the prevention and transmission of the virus(COVID-19) and provision of essential school-based services including health care and school feeding.

UNESCO says governments should assess the benefits of classrooms based instructions compared to the remote learning and the risk related factors to reopening of schools, noting the evidence around the infection risks related to school attendance.