Mariko Kagoshima | Thousands of J’can children are lost to learning: They need our support

The number is stunning. Approximately 120,000 Jamaican children, as reported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI), have been disengaged from learning since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Schools have had little or no regular contact with these students, who represent almost 25 per cent of the enrolment in public primary and secondary schools.

That’s one in four students who cannot fully access their right to an education – not counting children at the early-childhood level.

For a painfully long 18 months of their lives, these children have been lost to learning.

Many of them live in low-income households in rural and urban communities or in situations of vulnerability, in families that are grappling with the economic blows of the pandemic. They do not have reliable or continuous access to the Internet or devices, and therefore cannot benefit from online learning.

Now, as Jamaica faces the triple threat of a surge in COVID-19 cases, the impact of the Delta variant and low vaccine uptake, we are uncertain about when schools will resume full face-to-face instruction. We already know that students will start the 2021-22 academic year with an initial reliance on online schooling.

Once students are expected to learn online – even within a blended approach that includes some face-to-face instruction – there will be distinct and severe disadvantages for children who are lost to learning. They will continue to struggle academically and otherwise without specific and additional support.

If the Government mandates that children who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 must remain online, this presents yet another problematic obstacle for learning. Conditionality of this kind is inequitable – considering that many children may be unable to access the vaccine for various reasons – and infringes on every child’s right to access education. It is UNICEF’s global position that all schools should provide in-person learning as soon as possible, without barriers to access, including not mandating vaccination prior to school entry.

UNICEF is increasingly concerned about children who are lost to learning, and we believe everyone who cares about the welfare of children and the development of this nation should be worried, too.

Their setback widens the existing gaps in Jamaica’s education system. Before COVID-19, Jamaica already had a learning crisis, lagging behind global and regional targets. In 2018, 35 per cent of grade-four students had not mastered foundational skills in numeracy. According to recent World Bank simulations, a 10-month school closure has put Jamaica at risk of losing 1.3 years in learning-adjusted years of schooling. This translates to an average annual earning loss per student of US $1,099, which aggregates to a total lifetime earning loss of US$5.5 billion – a third of Jamaica’s annual GDP.

In addition to learning losses, children in vulnerable situations also face other major challenges. The longer children are physically out of school, the greater their exposure to physical, emotional and sexual violence, exploitation and abuse. There are girls who have become pregnant and given birth during the disruption to education; young children who should, but have failed to enter early-childhood institutions, or who have not sufficiently transitioned from early-childhood institutions into primary school; and children with disabilities whose routines have been dismantled and whose specific needs remain largely unmet.

UNICEF acknowledges the efforts of the MOEYI over the past year to engage children in continued access to learning, including via radio and TV programmes, printed packages, the provision of zero-rated learning sites, acceleration of the ‘Tablets in Schools’ programme, and a mixed-mode delivery summer school initiative. We also recognise the ministry’s ongoing efforts to build the capacity of teachers and school leaders, and to increase awareness of the need to support the emotional and mental well-being of students.

As Jamaica prepares for ‘back to school’ in September, it is crucial to prioritise efforts to reach and engage children who have been lost to learning. We call on the government of Jamaica to be even more intentional about assessing these students and taking action to provide them with targeted support, with four specific asks:

1 Accelerate the identification and assessment of children who are lost to learning, including pregnant girls, young children entering the education system, and children with disabilities.

2 In the absence of full face-to-face learning, provide tailored remedial learning options that are feasible for children who have been assessed to have the greatest needs. In some cases, such efforts may need to be combined with psychosocial support, especially for those who have been exposed to violence.

3 Ensure continued and expanded social protection for families most in need, to ensure their children can access systems like PATH in order to resume their education and take advantage of benefits provided to support learning.

4 Provide in-person learning as soon as possible, without any conditions that may result in the exclusion of any children.

Despite the exceptionally difficult situation presented by the COVID-19 school closures, the pandemic has also opened a window of opportunity to recover and build back better – to make sure that Jamaica has a more inclusive, effective and resilient education system. There is a chance now to adapt good international, regional and national practices to accelerate learning and improve accessibility and equity, while expanding mental health and psychosocial support for all students.

Functional literacy and numeracy programmes, along with the strategic use of technology and data interventions, can provide long-term opportunities for cost savings, while also supporting better teaching and learning – especially for the most vulnerable.

We also have the chance to listen to the views of students themselves, whose truly helpful insights can guide the sector. They are depending on all Jamaicans to get the next steps right. They are trusting us to ensure that efforts to reopen schools and help students recover, with the aim of making life better for every child and safeguard the most vulnerable so that they are not left even further behind.

UNICEF stands ready to support the MOEYI and all stakeholders to enable a safe return to school and the recovery of education. It is not enough for schools to simply reopen their doors. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and learn confidently again, as we navigate the realities of the ongoing pandemic and life after COVID-19.

Mariko Kagoshima is the UNICEF Jamaica representative. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.