According to the latest report on education by UNESCO, the coronavirus pandemic has affected over 91 per cent of the world’s student population, more than 157 crore students across 191 countries. Educational institutions have been shut down in several countries to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection. The report states that in India, over 32 crore students have been affected by the various restrictions and the nationwide lockdown imposed by the prime minister on March 25. Over 13 crore students from classes 9 through 12 are the worst hit.

The report stated that several countries have also implemented localised closures impacting millions of additional learners. In India, schools and higher educational institutions have been shut for over a month now to contain the spread of the infection. They will remain closed until May 3 as prime minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown by 19 more days.

The nationwide lockdown has affected the education system at all levels. The board examinations, college examinations and entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering and National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for medical have been postponed. Many are conducting online classes during this quarantine period. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has made several arrangements such as online learning tools and educational channels through Direct to Home TV so that the students can continue learning. The government will announce new dates for the pending examinations after the lockdown is lifted.   

Source: ThePrint