At Least A Third Of The World’s Schoolchildren Unable To Access Remote Learning During COVID-19 School Closures

At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – have been unable to access remote learning as COVID-19 shuttered their schools, according to a new UNICEF report released today.

At least 80 million of children unable to access remote learning live in Australia’s neighbouring East Asia Pacific region. Millions do not have access to internet or digital services, meaning that school closures have put their education on hold.

“Though school closures have affected children around the world, huge efforts have been made to provide alternative learning options and most have been able to continue their learning online with support from teachers and ongoing classes,” said Felicity Butler-Wever, Director of International Programs at UNICEF Australia. “However for 463 million children globally, and 80 million in our neighbouring region, there was no such thing as remote learning………………………………………………………