UNICEF Papua New Guinea Education COVID-19 Case Study – Opening Up Schools Better

In Papua New Guinea, schools were closed on 24 March 2020 disrupting the education for all 2.4 million students. In response, the National Department of Education (NDoE) urgently scaled-up its approach to support the continuation of learning to mitigate the impacts of school closures on the learning outcomes, health, well being and development of the school-age population. With UNICEF’s financial support, continuity of learning was supported with the establishment of an ICT platform offering online teaching and learning for nationwide daily TV and radio broadcasts of lessons for primary and secondary schools benefiting over 370,000 children, including more than 168,000 girls. School reopening commenced on 4 May 2020 under the NDoE’s “New Normal” COVID-19 protocols to prepare staff, students and school communities to reopen schools and educational institutions safely. Classes have resumed with shift classes and a blended approach, with students attending one to two days of classes per week and continuing their learning at home through paper-based materials, radio, television and the internet……………………………………….