The challenges of Mexican families in the face of education on TV 5:53
(CNN Spanish) -
More than 160 million students in Latin America and the Caribbean were unable to return to classrooms due to closures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a report recently published by the Organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture, Unesco, with many countries without news of when millions of children and young people could return to the classroom.
The return to classes for millions of school students in the region is still unknown, because after six months of blockades to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many countries in Latin America are still fighting to stop the infections.
In the region, countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina, have some of the highest numbers of covid-19 in the world, ranking among the 10 countries with the most infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The massive closures caused an "unprecedented crisis" in all areas, according to Unesco.
And in terms of education, the blockades caused "more than 1,200 million students at all levels of education" to stop having face-to-face classes around the world.
"Until the date of the review," says the report published last August, "the student population affected by these measures in the 32 countries [of Latin America and the Caribbean] exceeded 165 million students" who were unable to return. to the classrooms.
This is the situation in some Latin American countries
In the region, the vast majority of countries "have established forms of continuity of studies in various distance modalities," such as online classes, offline modalities or blended learning, says the report.
"In a large part of the countries (29 of the 33), forms of continuity of studies have been established in various remote modalities," says Unesco.
«Among them, 26 countries implemented forms of learning, online and 24 established distance learning strategies in offline modalities, including 22 countries in which distance learning is offered in both modalities (offline and online), 4 which have exclusively online modalities and 2 with only offline modalities ».
In Mexico
, the government will not allow face-to-face classes this year, which means that the 30 million Mexican students will be forced to learn remotely.
Authorities say the coronavirus pandemic - which has claimed more than 65,000 lives and more than 610,000 confirmed cases - remains too dangerous to allow children to return to the classroom.
Distance learning is difficult even in developed countries.
But in places like Mexico, taking that English or math class online isn't that easy: Only 56% of households have Internet access, according to government statistics.
So, if the law requires that all Mexican children receive a public education, the government has decided that the best way to do it is through radio waves, since 93% of the country's homes have a television.
There is no clear strategy in TV classes, according to experts 11:25
In Brazil,
schools are closed, but their reopening depends on each state or municipality and the dates change continuously, so nothing is defined yet.
In Colombia,
schools are closed for face-to-face education, and classes are virtual;
But a presidential decree authorizes the return to "practical face-to-face laboratories", in the case of higher education institutions.
In Uruguay
, primary and secondary schools already operate in person, but under strict protocols that made it necessary to reduce class time, as well as the free meals that were given in schools.
The key in this return to school is physical distancing, the mandatory use of masks.
The key to avoid contagion in schools in Uruguay 3:45
In Nicaragua
, unlike other countries, the government did not decree the suspension of classes in public schools despite the increase in coronavirus infections.
The educational centers implemented sanitary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as well as staggering the schedule to avoid crowds of students.
This, despite the criticism of those who say that there is financial precariousness of many parents to meet requirements such as face masks and other toiletries.
They warn of risks of not suspending classes in Nicaragua 3:04
In Peru
, schools will be closed until December 2020, with partial reopening in some places that were exceptionally isolated.
In Bolivia
, on August 2, the interim government of President Jeanine Áñez announced the closure of the 2020 school year at the "initial, primary and secondary levels of fiscal, private and contract education."
The government asked educational institutions "to carry out the corresponding administrative procedures for the promotion of students to the next higher grade."
The challenges of not going back to school
There are several difficulties underlying the closure of schools, such as how, despite the attempts of many governments to continue with online classes, in the region “considerable gaps still persist in effective access to the digital world”, which makes that many students are left out of this way of learning, says the Unesco report.
Another issue that worries the experts is the confinement measures that can have "serious implications for the mental health of the population and the increase in exposure to situations of violence against children and adolescents."
The closures also represent an impact on the nutrition of millions of students who depend on the food programs provided in educational centers and other services, such as "the delivery of contraceptives, mental health services or recreational activities." the report says.
Unesco also points out several adverse consequences due to the closure of schools, such as a possible increase in school dropouts, as it points out that it will be a challenge for children and young people to stay in schools when they reopen after months of closure: «This is especially true in the case of prolonged closures and when economic crises put pressure on children to work and generate income for families with economic difficulties.
And it points out that school closures can lead to exposure to violence by minors, forced recruitment in conflict zones, teenage pregnancies and increased child labor.
“Schools are centers of social activity and human interaction.
When schools close, many children and young people lose the social contact that is essential for learning and development, “says the Unesco report.
Opening of schools