Nearly Half Of World’s Children Out Of School Due To Coronavirus

Topline: Nearly 862 million children, or half of the world’s student population, are missing out on classes because of coronavirus fears— and the United Nations expect more to come.

• With a reported 107 countries ordering nationwide school shutdowns, and local closings in 12 others, millions of children are experiencing disruptions to their education. 
• Children who depend on their school for free or discounted meals or whose parents do not have access to alternative childcare are vulnerable during school closings— and drop out rates tend to rise after a prolonged school closure.
• Some schools are looking to fill in the gaps online with programs like Zoom, but accessing a stable internet connection can be a hurdle that disproportionately affects underprivileged children.

Key background: The UN statistics show how quickly the response to the corona pandemic is ramping up— just a week ago, only 15 countries had ordered schools to close. The most affected country appears to be China, which UNESCO estimates has 233 million children out of school. Italy, the country affected the worst after China, has kept kids out of school for nearly two weeks now. On Wednesday, the U.K. became the latest country to announce nationwide school closures. 

What to watch for: Whether or not the U.S. will order nationwide school closures. According to USA Today, about 70% of American schools were closing Tuesday after state or local orders.