World Bank: COVID-19 pandemic could lead to deep crisis of human development in Central Asia
05/08/2020 16:43
World Bank: COVID-19 pandemic could lead to deep crisis of human development in Central Asia
05/08/2020 16:43
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has a long-term negative impact on education, the quality of human capital and socio-economic development in Central Asian countries, where students, children and young people make up almost half of the population. The crisis threatens the future incomes of the younger generation. The level of functional illiteracy among adolescents is projected to increase, that is, the number of students who are unable to use their reading, writing and math skills to effectively participate in society is projected, according to the World Bank.
Prior to the pandemic, education in Central Asia already faced a number of challenges, in particular difficulties in eliminating educational poverty, providing equal opportunities for vulnerable students, and promoting inclusiveness. On average, students from Central Asian countries lagged behind their peers in Europe by a year and a half. Many students in the region have already performed poorly in functional literacy in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PISA international student assessment program.
Of particular concern is the growing inequality, or gap, in learning between students from families with different income levels. This is due to a number of factors, including differences in the availability of distance learning and teaching materials for teachers and students, as well as in teacher support and family contributions to home teaching. According to PISA data, in Kazakhstan, children from the poorest families lag behind their peers in education by a year, and in the Kyrgyz Republic - by two and a half years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated learning challenges as school closures will further negatively impact the most vulnerable, including students from low-income families, remote areas, minorities, and people with special needs.
“The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the education and training system with such devastating force that the impact will be felt for decades to come, including an economic loss of $ 44 billion in Central Asia alone. And this is not the most pessimistic scenario, ”said Aisha Vauda, Leading Education Specialist at the World Bank in Central Asia, during the briefing. “Countries in the region have taken rapid action to provide emergency access to training through multiple channels and formats. But now the countries of Central Asia must react in such a way as to lay the foundation for a new education system - high-quality, sustainable and fair. "
During the briefing, representatives of the World Bank emphasized that education needs to be given priority attention when developing plans to eliminate the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Countries must conserve education budgets, improve the quality of distance learning, and ensure flexibility in education programs focusing on competencies and skills, not just knowledge; develop and provide educators with effective strategies to close the learning gap, assessment methods and extra hours to compensate for learning losses.
As educators develop an understanding of the learning loss for each child, it will be necessary to develop specific educational plans to address the gap. Particular attention should be paid to the students most affected by school closures. Countries in the region also need to ensure the development of digital skills among students, youth and teachers, and provide more opportunities for interactive teacher-student work on various remote learning platforms in order to better adapt to the needs of the current crisis.
“The World Bank, both in Central Asia and around the world, attaches particular importance to education and human capital development, because we understand that such investments bring the greatest dividends,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia. “Today we have adapted three educational projects for work in the conditions of COVID: in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan. Support has been mobilized through these projects for emergency and distance learning. For example, in Kazakhstan, distance learning is monitored and digital equipment is provided to rural teachers."
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