The coronavirus has caused a major disruption to education around the globe. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) reported that nine out of 10 of the world’s children were out of school at the start of April.
This is huge, and we remember that the purpose of school closures is to try to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 through isolation and physical distancing. The challenge around the world is how to ensure that the effect on children’s learning is minimised. It is crucial that in addition to worrying about the effect on teaching and learning, we think about the psychosocial needs of children too.
The complete article by Dr Mark Potterton is available on the Mail & Guardian website.