The impact of the pandemic on education 1:57
(CNN) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday that the world is facing a "generation catastrophe" due to school closings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"Getting students back to schools and learning institutions as safely as possible should be a priority" once the local transmission of covid-19 is under control, he said.
"The covid-19 pandemic has caused the biggest disruption to education," Guterres said in a video message to launch the "Let's Save Our Future" campaign alongside partners in the education sector and United Nations agencies.
When will the children return to schools? 1:29"Despite the television, radio and online lessons, and the best efforts of teachers and parents, many students remain out of reach," he said.
In mid-July, schools closed in more than 160 countries and affected more than a billion students, he said. At least 40 million students worldwide have missed education in their critical preschool year.
Students with disabilities, those in minority or disadvantaged communities, displaced and refugee students, and those in remote areas are most at risk of being left behind, he said.
Online education is here to stay? 3:38"And even for those who can access distance education, success depends on their living conditions," said Guterres. "Parents, especially women, have been forced to shoulder heavy burdens of home care."
"We were already facing a learning crisis before the pandemic," he said. "We are now facing a generational catastrophe that could squander untold human potential, undermine decades of progress and exacerbate already entrenched inequalities."
More than 250 million school-age children were out of school before the start of the pandemic, and only a quarter of high school children in developing countries dropped out of school with basic skills, he said. The collateral effects on child nutrition, child marriage and gender equality, among others, are also "deeply concerning."
The campaign calls for action in four key areas, including reopening schools, prioritizing education in financial decisions, targeting the most difficult-to-reach students and focusing on creative and innovative ways of teaching.
Education