's Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, has issued a statement underlining the importance of keeping schools open or prioritizing them in reopening plans: “Despite overwhelming evidence of the impact of school closures on children, and despite increasing evidence that schools are not drivers of the pandemic, too many countries have opted to keep schools closed, some for nearly a year. The cost of closing schools – which at the peak of pandemic lockdowns affected 90 per cent of students worldwide and left more than a third of schoolchildren with no access to remote education – has been devastating."
As the calendar turns to 2021, UNICEF is again celebrating the new lives being brought into the world on 1 January. Fiji in the Pacific will welcome 2021’s first baby. An estimated 371,504 babies will be born around the world on New Year’s Day, and an estimated 140 million children will be born in 2021, . Newborns and their parents face additional challenges this year from the . In response to the global pandemic, UNICEF launched the , a global effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children.
10 playful activities for children with disabilities
Keeping little ones busy can be a full-time job. The best way for children to learn, no matter their abilities, is through play. that you can do indoors with your child. Be patient, listen and enjoy spending time and learning together!
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to learning disruption on a scale never seen before. The closure of learning institutions has affected the lives of more than 1.5 billion students in over 190 countries.
While on their way to school, a terrible bicycle accident left Avni visually-impaired and eventually unable to return to school with her older sister Bina.
UNICEF has teamed up with beloved Sesame Street character Elmo and his mom to help parents and caregivers through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"And he rushes up to embrace his mother. At that moment, I just said, thank you. This is what happiness is, I want to do this all my life. I just want to repatriate refugees for the rest of my life."
From 1-4 December, UNODC is hosting the . More than 35 online interactive panels will discuss how the international education community is working towards teaching justice and rule of law issues, with inspiration from innovative approaches from around the world to ensure that learning never stops even during a global pandemic. Join E4J and see how the UN and its partners are reimagining education for a more just world, and inspiring change together!
Bullying in school is a serious issue, affecting one in three students worldwide. This animation follows the stories of three young victims of bullying across the world, revealing the negative consequences of bullying on educational outcomes, health and well-being.
‘I want all Shona women to see that they can be anything they want’
In Cambodia, an interactive smartphone app is helping educate students about the country’s devastating history under the Khmer Rouge. It is a period that will forever echo in Cambodia’s history, but one that society struggles to deal with to this day. In recent years, international, governmental, and non-governmental institutions have been working to help address this. However, reaching young Cambodians has proven to be a significant challenge. The app called ‘Khmer Rouge History,’ was developed under a programme implemented by UNOPS.
School violence and bullying including cyberbullying is widespread and affects a significant number of children and adolescents. Almost one in three students has been bullied by their peers at school at least once in the last month and a similar proportion were affected by physical violence. UNESCO has declared 5 November the first annual International day against violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying, recognizing that school-related violence in all its forms is an infringement of children and adolescents’ rights to education and to health and well-being.
The honours outstanding and innovative contributions made by individuals, institutions and organizations to advance girls’ and women’s education.
A report released on the International Day of the Girl Child shows that 180 million more girls have enrolled in primary and secondary education since 1995. However, despite an increase across all levels of education, girls are still more likely to suffer exclusion than boys, and this is further exacerbated by the current pandemic. It therefore remains vital for governments to tackle persisting discrimination to achieve equality for the next generation of girls, argues the .
An entire generation has seen its education interrupted. works to keep children, particularly the most marginalized, learning and to not just reopen schools, but better schools.