During a meeting organized by GPE for education ministers from more than a dozen developing countries, the common theme was the fear that many children will be left behind due to the coronavirus pandemic. GPE CEO Alice Albright noted that more than half of the 1.3 billion children out of school are in developing countries.
Though many were able to switch quickly to remote learning, in some African countries, as few as one fifth of students out of school are able to access continuing education. While the legacy of long school closures during the Ebola crisis prepared some parts of the continent, education systems still need strengthening.
Radio turned out to be a valuable tool of the response as ministries develop classroom-style programs for children and their families. GPE mobilized US$250 million to help countries mitigate the impact of the crisis on their education systems.