Uganda Among Only Five Countries To Keep Schools Shut In Pandemic

According to a report by UNICEF, Uganda is among the only five countries in the world that is still keeping schools shut during the pandemic.

James Elder, a spokesperson at a UN Geneva conference said over 600 million children not on academic break are still affected by school closures. He said this is due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said in countries such as Uganda, this has led to a 20% spike in the last 15 months in teen pregnancies.

Either that, or girls between the age of 10-24 looking for antenatal care has increased due to the closure of schools.

‘’Across the globe, we’ve seen child helplines, a good precursor to understanding kids who are reporting violence, seeing often triple-digit increases,’’ Elder said.

Nearly half of the countries in Asia and the Pacific have had their schools closed for around 200 days. As of today, the UN Agency estimates in Eastern and Southern Africa, that 40% of all children aged 5-18, are currently out of school.

Elder said if these figures don’t resonate with those in power, then World Bank estimates a $10 trillion loss in earnings overtime.

What is alarming is that the solution for remote learning is simply out of reach for at least a third of the world’s school children.

Ugandan children have gone more than 300 days out of school, while home internet connectivity is the lowest on the planet.

Check Also;

• Schools Must Organize Before Reopening – Government
• United Nations; Schools Closed Due To Covid Should Reopen
• Besigye; Shutting Down Our Schools For Over A Year Is The Most Heinous Crime

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