An emotional return to classrooms for children in Venezuela this week

Caracas, Venezuela, October 2021. Thousands of children and adolescents have joined school for the first time or returned to face-to-face classes in Venezuela, feeling eager, nervous and excited all at once.

After more than a year of studying in semi-virtual mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last Monday the school year began face to face.

This return to school was a special moment for children, teachers and parents alike. UNICEF talked to them about how they were feeling. You can read these testimonies here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AMZIF6FG0LY

As part of efforts by the UNICEF Venezuela office to support the country’s schools as they return to face-to-face classes, a joint information campaign was disseminated entitled Back to School #DigamosPresente [#See You There] https://bit.ly/3BuVAqy). Public and private schools, and the Ministries of Education and Health, associations of private and subsidized schools, civil society organizations, and the media have all joined the campaign.

The campaign aimed to provide reliable information to mitigate the potential fears of parents, caregivers, and children about returning to school during the pandemic.

The campaign communicates information based on scientific evidence gathered by UNICEF from around the world confirming that returning to classrooms is safe if mitigation measures, such as social distancing, hand washing, and mask-wearing, are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“A study by UNICEF of 191 countries found that reopening schools does not cause an increase in COVID-19 infection rates in communities if adequate biosecurity measures are put in place”. https://uni.cf/2ZEnfIH

“Over the past few weeks, children and adolescents in Venezuela have been going into school for educational guidance after national authorities announced the easing of restrictions. Now that a safe and progressive return to school is starting, we at UNICEF are very happy and willing to continue providing support so that children can stay where they belong: in classrooms”, said Andrés Felices, Head of Education at UNICEF Venezuela.

How does returning to classrooms benefit children?

Between the ages of 0 and 5, children begin to learn and put into practice basic skills for communicating and interacting with others, as well as other skills for their physical and emotional development that are stimulated at the preschool level.

Between the ages of 6 and 11, children’s physical, intellectual and emotional development progresses. In addition to learning basic skills, such as literacy and mathematics, their relationships with others will be boosted by face-to-face classes.

A school is a key place for adolescents to meet friends and put social skills into practice, for which face-to-face learning is important.

When contact with the school is lost, children are more likely to drop out of the educational system. It is estimated that 24 million children globally will drop out of school due to the pandemic.

UNICEF reiterates that a safe return to classrooms is possible if COVID-19 mitigation measures are followed. #DigamosPresente.