In all, an estimated 463 million children lack the equipment or electronic access to pursue distance learning, said the report from Unicef. The UN estimates that 1.5 billion children worldwide have been affected by lockdowns or school closings occasioned by the pandemic. The report underlined gaping geographical differences in children's access to distance education, with far fewer affected in Europe, for example, than in Africa or parts of Asia. The UN report is based on data gathered from roughly 100 countries, measuring public access to the internet, to television and to radio. Where reopening is impossible, governments should arrange for "compensatory learning for lost instructional time," the report said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune August 27, 2020 03:00 UTC