Dear Open Spacers,
I'm happy to share with you an extract of the new article by 1093 "Planning amid uncertainty – Re-opening schools in Europe and Central Asia":

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented crisis in education, which no one was prepared for. Schools suddenly closed, and students (along with teachers) had to adapt to virtual learning. In the fall of 2020, there was a glimmer of hope that the pandemic was under control in many countries and that children could physically return to school.

But it wasn't to be. The rapid spread of coronavirus variants led to more cases of infection, which in turn led to countries reinstating full or partial school closures. One year later, the availability of vaccines has instilled renewed hope, but much uncertainty remains. In Europe and Central Asia - a region severely impacted by the pandemic - countries are yet again faced with difficult choices between getting students back to school or continuing with remote learning.

In Kosovo and the Kyrgyz Republic, for example, school reopening for the new school year has been delayed by two weeks. Georgia has also delayed reopening by two weeks and started the school year in remote mode. Azerbaijan took a similar approach. Furthermore, six countries in the region will use hybrid modalities of education delivery in at least one level of education.

A recent World Bank report showcases how countries can manage these uncertainties by adopting best practices learned during the crisis in increasing learning for all students, while strongly encouraging reopening of schools. The physical reopening of schools for students plays a key role in the recovery of lost learning and ensuring equitable access to the opportunities that education provides ...>.

Last year, on average, students in the Europe and Central Asia region lost 100 school days of learning, equating to half a school year. Today, countries in the region want to fully reopen and are eager to support children with learning recovery, regaining socio-emotional skills, reducing anxieties, and increasing digital skills. A prerequisite to creating this safe learning environment is a high percentage of teachers and students vaccinated against COVID-19.

Learning losses due to school closures will exacerbate existing learning gaps ...>.

To read the original:https://blogs.worldbank.org/europeandcentralasia/planning-amid-uncertai…