The Road to Learning Recovery

Recommendations, resources and tools to help every child return to learning

students raise hands

Children in South Asia have lived through some of the longest school closures in the world, disrupting learning for over 430 million children. It has had a devastating impact on students’ mental health and well-being, and led to significant learning loss with the most marginalized girls and boys falling even further behind their peers.  

3 out of 4 ten-year-olds in South Asia are unable to read a simple sentence, latest data shows.

Even before COVID-19, the region was grappling with a learning crisis. More than half of ten-year-olds were unable to read a simple story. Today, this figure is estimated to have reached 78 per cent. When it comes to learning remotely, the pandemic exposed stark inequities between girls and boys in terms of getting ahold of and using both the internet and digital devices like smartphones. If rapid action to recover learning is not taken, an entire generation of students in South Asia stands to lose $1.9 trillion in future earnings.  

UNICEF is urging governments, local authorities and school administrations to recover lost learning for all students, particularly young children, girls and the most vulnerable by taking RAPID action to: 

  • Reach every child and keep them in school; 

  • Assess learning levels regularly; 

  • Prioritize teaching the fundamentals, as the building blocks of lifelong learning; 

  • Increase the efficiency of instruction including through catch-up learning; and 

  • Develop psychosocial health and well-being so every child is ready to learn. 

This page provides key regional and global guiding documents, tools and resources as well as examples of good practice to support every child to return to learning.  

Transforming learning

Where are we on Education Recovery?

Taking the Global Pulse of a RAPID Response

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The State of the Global Education Crisis

A Path to Recovery

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Guide for Learning Recovery and Acceleration

Using the RAPID Framework to Address COVID-19 Learning Losses and Build Forward Better

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From Learning Recovery to Education Transformation

Insights and Reflections from the 4th Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures - September 2022

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Reopening with Resilience

Lessons from Remote Learning During COVID-19 – South Asia

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Keeping all children learning during the pandemic

Provide Essential Learning Packages for all Children Now!

Read the story

Situation Analysis of COVID-19 on Education in Asia

Regional report on the effects of and Responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector

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Monitoring Distance Learning During School Closures

Key considerations and example questions for monitoring the reach and effectiveness of distance and blended learning modalities, through surveys

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Guidance on Distance Learning Modalities

Key considerations and recommendations on ensuring continuity of learning during school closures focusing on reaching the most marginalized children

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Opening up better and safer schools

Self-care tips for teachers during COVID-19

How to ease anxiety and reduce the impact of stress on your health.

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8 ways teachers can support students' mental health

Transitioning back to in-person classroom learning.

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Opening Up Better Schools Toolkit

Tools designed to help with the thinking and actions needed to build back better schools

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Gender-responsive Education in the Context of COVID-19

Framework and evidence-informed progressive standards to support gender-responsive actions

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Framework for Reopening Schools

Framework for Reopening Schools

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Framework for Reopening Schools Supplement

From Reopening to Recovery - Key Resources

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Catch-up Programmes

Principles and action points for catch-up programmes to meet the needs of learners who missed out on several months of education due to COVID-19

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Children's Guide for the Safe Reopening of Schools

A guide written by children for children to stay protected from COVID-19 and continue learning once schools reopen

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Reopening Early Childhood Education Settings

Global Guidance on Reopening Early Childhood Education Settings

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GUIDANCE FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY JOURNEYS TO SCHOOL

GUIDANCE FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY JOURNEYS TO SCHOOL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BEYOND

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Reopening Schools Safely

Recommendations for building back better to end violence against children in and through schools

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USING ENVIRONMENTAL NUDGES TO IMPROVE HANDWASHING WITH SOAP

A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE INTERVENTIONS FOR USE AS AN INTERIM MEASURE DURING SCHOOL REOPENINGS

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Emerging lessons from reopening schools

Supplement to Framework for reopening schools

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Teacher's Guide

Magnificent Mei and Friends Comics

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Magnificent Mei and Friends

Comic 1

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Getting girls back in school

Tackling the digital gender divide in Asia

Deeply entrenched gender biases still restrict the access of many women and girls to the plethora of online opportunities

Read the story

My Voice, Our Equal Future

Joining the chorus of girls who are speaking up for change

Read the story

The courage to say no

Non-formal education classes help a 14-year-old girl from south-eastern Nepal put a stop to her impending marriage

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Girls back to school guide

Girls back to school guide

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Pandemic-induced poverty pushing up child marriage

Pandemic-induced poverty pushing up child marriage

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Tips for parents

How can I tell if a child is depressed during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people's mental health, including and especially children

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Omicron: Going to school and getting vaccinated

Can children go to school when the virus is circulating?

Read the story

How to keep children learning through COVID-19

Whether they’re back in the classroom or studying at home, here’s how to give students the support they need to learn.

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Child mask use: Everything you need to know

Practical tips for families in South Asia about children and mask use

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Valuable tips and advice from the education expert at UNICEF

Why is it important to ensure that younger children (preschoolers) continue their early learning at home despite centre closures?

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Supporting your children return to school during COVID-19

Tips for parents and caregivers to support children return to school during COVID-19

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Inspiring stories from the region

Non-formal education centres help out-of-school girls learn

With funds from UNICEF Norway and assistance from UNICEF Pakistan, Govt. of Punjab is expanding accelerated learning opportunities for out-of-school girls

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How school closures changed my life

From 4 children in South Asia who’ve lived through them

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A steep learning curve

Despite school closures owing to COVID-19, a little boy in western Nepal was able to learn at home with help from his aunt

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Online learning was exciting but more challenging

     

Read the story

Nothing should stop a child from learning

     

Read the story

Interactive teaching methods help Pakistani students learn

Sindh School Education & Literacy Department's non-formal education policy helps out-of-school children continue learning using accelerated curriculum.

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Bringing Out-of-School girls Back to Education in Pakistan

Alternative Learning Pathway centres enable children, especially girls, to resume learning in Pakistan

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A year after its closure, Bhutan's ECCD centres are now open

Early Childhood Care and Development centres re-open in Bhutan after a year with all safety measures in place

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Education cannot wait

Learning continues for students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the pandemic

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Bangladeshi children share experiences of remote learning

Bangladeshi children share experiences of remote learning and the challenges they face

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Hero Students: Coping with COVID-19 challenges

Two young students shared their experiences of schooling during the curfew and their efforts to keep learning in challenging times

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Urgent action is required to protect the learning

Urgent action is required to protect the learning of all South Asian children

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Closed Classrooms

Children From Across South Asia Share What They’ve Missed The Most

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Bridging the digital divide

How a leadership scout supported learning of primary school children in remote southern Bhutan.

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COVID-19 and reimagining learning

COVID-19 has impacted children in more ways than one and forced us to think of innovative ways to address the challenges which have come along.

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