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Page10 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> DECEMBER 1 - <strong>14</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
News<br />
One in five children dropping out<br />
of school as COVID takes its toll<br />
Continued from Page 1<<br />
Although school closures and disruptions<br />
have affected all children, the impact has been<br />
far greater for children in low-income<br />
countries, as some lost 20% more of their<br />
lifetime schooldays during the pandemic<br />
compared to other children.<br />
In certain countries, girls are at particular<br />
risk of dropping out compared to boys, with<br />
many forced into child marriage and out of<br />
school. In Uganda, 52% of students who have<br />
dropped out are girls – and with fewer girls<br />
than boys enrolled in school even before the<br />
pandemic, this worsens existing inequalities<br />
in the country.<br />
Up to 10 million more girls are now<br />
expected to marry by 2030 as a result of the<br />
pandemic. Child marriage is a violation of<br />
children’s rights that robs girls of their<br />
childhood. <strong>The</strong> practice disrupts their<br />
education and can take a heavy toll on<br />
children’s mental health.<br />
Save the Children is warning that unless<br />
urgent action is taken, the COVID-19<br />
pandemic will continue to reverse important<br />
educational gains made in the last 20 years.<br />
Up to one in five children missing out on an education<br />
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Jasmine Jahromi, Team Leader for Save the<br />
Children’s Safe Back to School Initiative, said:<br />
“Although schools are reopening around the<br />
world, not all children are returning. In fact,<br />
we’re seeing the complete opposite in many<br />
countries. This snapshot survey gives us an<br />
insight into the long-term implications COVID-<br />
19 is having on children’s education in these<br />
countries. Although the 20% dropout rate only<br />
applies to the schools surveyed, if replicated<br />
globally, we’re looking at potentially tens of<br />
millions of children never returning to school<br />
due to the consequences of the pandemic.<br />
“COVID-19 has already caused the largest<br />
disruption to education in human history, and<br />
its implications will continue for years to come<br />
without urgent action. <strong>The</strong> pandemic continues<br />
to push families into poverty, forcing many<br />
children into work or marriage, and out of<br />
school.<br />
“We know the most vulnerable and<br />
marginalised children have already suffered the<br />
greatest educational loss in the past 18 months,<br />
with little to no access to distance learning or<br />
education. Dropping out of school now will<br />
only set them further behind.”<br />
Save the Children is calling on<br />
governments and donors to urgently invest in<br />
education now so that every child is supported<br />
in returning to school when it is safe to do so.<br />
Greater efforts are needed to tackle the<br />
specific barriers preventing the most<br />
vulnerable and marginalised children from<br />
returning to school, particularly girls, children<br />
from low-income households, children with<br />
disabilities, and migrant and refugee children.<br />
This can include cash transfers, school meals,<br />
catch-up classes, and mental health and<br />
psycho-social support.<br />
Ms. Jahromi continued: “We can do<br />
something to stop the pandemic’s education<br />
crisis from getting worse, but time is running<br />
out. <strong>The</strong> longer children are out of school, the<br />
less likely they will ever return to the<br />
classroom. We must act now and see<br />
governments invest in combatting the fallout<br />
before it’s too late.”