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The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recently launched the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) Minimum Service Package (MSP). The MSP can address the MHPSS needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises by helping stakeholders coordinate MHPSS responses within and across sectors, addressing gaps, advocating for needs, and planning and implementing activities. It includes high priority MHPSS activities that can be implemented by education, health, child protection, Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other sectors to ensure that the diverse MHPSS needs of populations affected by emergencies are addressed. A checklist of actions to inform planning and implementation, and a list of relevant guidelines, standards, and tools, are provided for each activity. This brief aims to serve as a guide for education professionals on how to integrate MHPSS into Education in Emergencies (EiE) programming. An overview of MHPSS activities that can be implemented in EiE contexts is detailed, in line with the MHPSS Minimum Service Package. Country examples and case studies are featured.

"All In: Towards Tangible Solutions for Equity and Inclusion in Education" showcases promising practices that were successfully implemented to ensure that inclusive education really does include all children, so that the most marginalized learners -- including children with disabilities, children who are out of school, children living in poverty, marginalized girls, and refugee children -- have access to quality education. While many of the promising practices were initiated in response to the COVID-19 crisis, or draw upon the pandemic experience, they go beyond the immediate focus of pre- or post-COVID-19 education systems to an overall view of child well-being and the need to focus on skills for the 21st century. Many of these practices have the potential to be applied more widely within education systems and can be adapted and replicated by stakeholders in any context where innovative and inclusive approaches are needed to protect and promote children's right to education. Ingenuity, flexibility and a commitment to true inclusion and forward-looking policies are the common thread of promising practices in this document. This publication is a complementary resource to the 2021 report: "Reimagining Girls' Education: Solutions to Keep Girls Learning in Emergencies."

Botswana will need to invest in human capital and strengthen its skills base to transition into a knowledge-based economy. However, low foundational learning levels remain a key challenge for the education sector. While Botswana has invested heavily in teacher supply, teacher deployment has not always reflected school-level teacher needs. The uneven distribution of teachers -- both across and within schools -- contributes to disparities in class sizes and learning conditions. Moreover, female teachers are particularly underrepresented in the sciences despite comprising much of the teaching force. This report aims to provide policymakers with a granular overview of teacher distribution in the country and inform ongoing efforts to improve teacher allocation. [This research project was made possible by the Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development.]

Transforming education systems to be fit for the 21st century is the common thread for creating inclusive and equitable societies resilient to conflict, climate change and economic crises. Now is the time for increased investment in African education systems. This paper describes: (1) the state of Africa's educational landscape; (2) innovative approaches to increase education financing; and (3) what can be done to put education back at the forefront of Africa's policy agenda while sparking improved outcomes across the entire education spectrum. [Additional collaborators for this paper include the African Development Bank and the African Union.]

The call to transform education must begin with the youngest children. The world is not on track in meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.2 committing countries to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education by 2030. There is solid scientific evidence that early opportunities matter for child development outcomes. But inequalities start early and persist throughout life. Many children around the world, especially those living in low-income countries and facing disadvantage, do not have access and exposure to quality care and learning experiences early in life that prepare them for school success and foundational learning. Access to quality Early Childhood Care and Education matters for building a strong foundation and flourishing throughout life. This report is in response to a commitment in the Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education in which governments and the international community reaffirmed their commitment to the right to education, beginning with the youngest children. The report is the first in a biennial series dedicated to monitoring achievement of SDG Target 4.2. This edition explores how children learn and develop and how the key actors in children's early environments -- parents, families, educators and the community at large -- can be leveraged through public policies and social programmes to improve young children's learning and wellbeing. The right to education must begin with the right to a strong foundation.

Transforming education starts with ensuring all children attain foundational learning--literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills which provide the building blocks for all other learning. To this end, a global coalition has been established, inviting governments and stakeholders to endorse the Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning as a first step to accelerate the agenda on foundational learning. Organized around the RAPID Framework, this report presents insights on the progress countries have made towards securing foundational learning, using data based on survey responses from 94 low- and middle-income countries and UNICEF's yearly monitoring exercise with its programme country offices. Complementing the Foundational Learning Action Tracker, an initiative by UNICEF and the Hempel Foundation, this report presents findings on the extent to which RAPID policy actions are being implemented and enabling systems are in place to support them, towards the goal of achieving foundational learning for all. [The Hempel Foundation provided support for this initiative.]

Technology presents incredible new potential in opening 'learning to earning' pathways for traditionally marginalised groups, such as displaced young people, adolescent girls and young women. Developing and scaling digitally powered learning for displaced populations can provide alternative opportunities to those who have lost access public schooling, with information and communication technology (ICT) holding great promise to leverage innovative online, offline and blended learning in settings providing formal, non-formal and informal education. However, a persistent gender digital divide results in unequal access to and use of ICT. This report aims to connect policymakers and practitioners with research and evidence on policy and programme solutions to support the inclusion, self-reliance and protection of displaced children and families. It synthesizes evidence on how digitally powered learning to earning for displaced young people, adolescent girls and young women can be further developed and scaled. It was produced to inform the learning agenda of PROSPECTS, a multi-year (2019-2023), multi-stakeholder partnership funded by the Government of the Netherlands, working together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.

The UNICEF Vision for Early Childhood Development is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It outlines UNICEF's intent to support an organization-wide approach to child development in the early years of life, drawing on its mandate for child rights, multisectoral expertise, wide on-the-ground presence, and long-standing role as a trusted adviser to governments and partners at national, regional and global levels.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, resulting in disruptions to education at an unprecedented scale. In response to the urgent need to recover learning losses, countries worldwide have taken RAPID actions to: Reach every child and keep them in school; Assess learning levels regularly; Prioritize teaching the fundamentals; Increase the efficiency of instruction; and Develop psychosocial health and wellbeing. Marking three years since the onset of the pandemic, this report looks back at policy measures taken during school closures and reopening based on country survey data, initiatives implemented by countries and regions to recover and accelerate learning, and their emerging lessons within each RAPID action. With schools now reopened worldwide, this report also looks ahead to longer-term education transformation, offering policy recommendations to build more resilient, effective and equitable education systems.

The burden of mental health conditions and poor psychosocial wellbeing among children and adolescents is associated with significant lifetime costs, as mental health conditions is associated with learning lower educational attainment and impeding the development of socioemotional skills which translates into reduced earning potential and labor productivity in later life. The humanitarian emergencies further exacerbate these impacts. A critical point, however, is that these costs to individuals, communities and countries can be mitigated through mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions that aim to promote mental health and wellbeing and/or prevent and respond to mental health conditions, thereby promoting learning and educational outcomes. This global cost-benefit analysis (global CBA) firstly estimates the global economic costs of mental health conditions through the effect on school completion, and poor social and emotional wellbeing among children and adolescents aged 10-17 years affected by humanitarian emergencies. It then models the economic benefits of addressing the mental health needs of children and adolescents through mental health and psychosocial support interventions. [This report was written by Angie Jackson-Morris, Michael Onah, Christina L. Meyer, Lily Morrell, and Rachel Nugent.]

Nine out of every 10 refugees arriving in host countries from Ukraine are women and children. Only 1 in 3 of Ukrainian refugee children are enrolled in early childhood education and care services. This emphasizes the need for expanding and strengthening early childhood education systems to ensure sufficient access for all children, and the integration of Ukranian refugee children in the host-community. These briefs offer recommendations for policymakers on ways to expand services, and how to facilitate the integration of refugee children and their families. Strategies include limiting the barriers that may hinder refugee children's access to ECEC settings, capitalizing existing physical and human resources to address gaps in service delivery, in addition to the inclusion of refugees in national and sub-national plans, data systems and financing, adapting policies and programmes to ensure considerations are made for refugee children. This second brief focuses on expanding early childhood education and care for Ukrainian refugee children and caregivers. [For the first brief in the series, see ED627656.]

Nine out of every 10 refugees arriving in host countries from Ukraine are women and children. Only 1 in 3 of Ukrainian refugee children are enrolled in early childhood education and care services. This emphasizes the need for expanding and strengthening early childhood education systems to ensure sufficient access for all children, and the integration of Ukranian refugee children in the host-community. These briefs offer recommendations for policymakers on ways to expand services, and how to facilitate the integration of refugee children and their families. Strategies include limiting the barriers that may hinder refugee children's access to ECEC settings, capitalizing existing physical and human resources to address gaps in service delivery, in addition to the inclusion of refugees in national and sub-national plans, data systems and financing, adapting policies and programmes to ensure considerations are made for refugee children. This first brief focuses on the integration of young refugee children through early childhood education and care. [For the second brief in this series, see ED627655.]

The European Training Foundation (ETF) and the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) conducted polls and focus groups to better understand the needs, views, sentiments, and experiences of young people, mainly between the ages of 14 and 34, in relation to career guidance. The geographical focus of the research was on select countries in the Europe and Central Asia region, specifically covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The research was co-designed and conducted in close collaboration, and with the full participation, of young people. The initiative's main objective has been to generate new evidence on career guidance demand and expectations among the young generations in these 11 countries and beyond. Fit-for-purpose career guidance should ideally be: a systematic combination of structured career education programs (as part of curricula throughout formal education, to be able to reach whole generations), quality online self-learning and self-help opportunities; and person-centered career guidance service offered outside of school, both face-to-face and online.

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt1 (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This second brief presents access to basic services. [For Brief 1, see ED620508. For Brief 3, see ED620509.]

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in four children in the East Asia and Pacific region was failing to master basic literacy and numeracy skills in primary school. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation of learning for millions of children whose education has been interrupted by school closures. Children who were struggling to learn before the pandemic and those from disadvantaged communities are at the core of the learning challenge in East Asia and Pacific. This technical report aims at helping countries reflect on and draw from successful experiences in the region when designing their responses to the learning crisis. And it explains the urgent need to support learning recovery for those children whose schools closed at any time during the pandemic. This literature review highlights recent evidence that points to effective strategies for improving learning outcomes among the most vulnerable and marginalized children in primary school in the East Asia and Pacific region. Generally, the review: (1) Presents an overview of the learning crisis in the East Asia and Pacific region, with emphasis on primary education and the most marginalized children; (2) Identifies, compiles and assesses qualitative and quantitative evidence on the topic of learning outcomes around five common intervention areas; and (3) Synthesizes the findings of the reviewed studies on promising approaches to improve learning outcomes within each of the selected topics.

Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were serious questions about whether children were actually learning. With widespread school closures and other disruptions to the education system brought about by the pandemic, the learning crisis has escalated to new heights. As the pandemic enters its third year, 23 countries -- home to around 405 million schoolchildren -- are yet to fully open schools, with many schoolchildren at risk of dropping out. Over the past two years nearly 147 million children missed more than half of their in-person schooling, amounting to?2 trillion hours of lost learning. Children have to get back to the classroom, but changes are needed to ensure that they really learn, starting with the foundational basics of reading and numeracy. This report offers unique insight into the extent of the learning crisis by providing an in-depth picture of which children are most at risk of not acquiring foundational learning skills. The analysis of 32 low- and middle-income countries and territories uses newly released data to examine the equity perspectives of the crisis, exploring learning outcomes among different subgroups of children, with a focus on the most vulnerable. [This work was supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre, Canada.]

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This third brief in the series presents vulnerability, discrimination and xenophobia. [For Brief 1, see ED620508. For Brief 2, see ED620510.]

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt1 (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This first brief in the series presents strengthening child protection systems and ending child immigration detention. [For Brief 2, see ED620510. For Brief 3, see ED620509.]

In Afghanistan, 93% of children cannot read a simple text by the age of 10. Education is not available to everyone, especially for girls and children in remote areas. A form of community-based education, called Accelerated Learning Centers (ALCs), can help close the distance barrier and meet the needs of out-of-school children and girls. In May 2021, an assessment of foundational literacy and numeracy skills of ALC students and nearby government school students was conducted. Results show that children at ALCs are learning at similar levels or better compared with children who attend government schools. This report provides insight into practices to improve education in rural areas in Afghanistan.

Two years into the COVID-19 global pandemic, education has been seriously disrupted. In response to this crisis, the global priority remains to ensure every child is supported so they can return to school and catch up on lost learning. Recognizing the need to accelerate education recovery with urgent, at-scale action, this joint report by UNICEF in partnership with UNESCO and the World Bank highlights staggering levels of learning loss globally and takes stock of the measures being taken by countries to mitigate learning losses as schools reopen. Based on a survey of 122 UNICEF country and fundraising offices administered in early March 2022, the report presents the importance of and progress made in five key actions for education recovery, the RAPID: (1) Reach every child and retain them in school; (2) Assess learning levels; (3) Prioritize teaching the fundamentals; (4) Increase catch-up learning and progress beyond what was lost; and (5) Develop psychosocial health and well-being so every child is ready to learn.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for governments across Southeast Asia to reshape their approach to education so that children and adolescents are equipped with the necessary academic and socioemotional skills to live a rewarding life. By providing deeper insight into children's attitudes and values in well-being domains, this report reveals the relationship between children's well-being and academic learning in the region. What can policymakers and practitioners do to support children and adolescents to excel now and in the future? Through quantitative analysis of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2019 database, along with an investigation of policy implications and promising practices, this report advocates for increased coordination across cross-sectoral government institutions; increased school, parental and community support for children's development; and providing a platform for children's voices to understand their perspectives and needs.

This report aims to take the pulse of each vital element of digital learning and offer steps to recovery through child-centered, equity-driven and innovative solutions, particularly as technologies and digital learning have come center stage since COVID-19. The five interlinked vitals for effective digital learning proposed in this brief are: (1) ICT in Education policies and financing; (2) digital learning platforms and content; (3) teachers and school leadership; (4) digital literacy; and (5) holistic learning opportunities within and beyond classrooms, which aim to provide a starting point to transforming education systems and ensuring effective digital learning experiences. In view of these vitals, this brief calls primarily on policymakers, but also private sector partners, research agencies, and international and local organizations, as well as civil society, to prioritize six actions: (1) Ensure a whole-of-system approach to digital learning through national ICT in Education policies and Master Plans, as well as cross-sectoral partnerships; (2) Increase resources dedicated to digital learning; (3) Address the digital and usage divides; (4) Support, train and empower teachers and school leaders; (5) Foster development of digital literacy for all learners, teachers and caregivers to enable digital learning and the development of the full range of skills, and to support success in school, work, and life; and (6) Meet children where they are. [The authors who produced the chapters of this report are Rachel Cooper, Juan-Pablo Giraldo, Anusha Ramakrishnan, Auken Tungatarova, Patrick Walugembe, and Haogen Yao.]

Almost two years into the pandemic, its widespread impact continues to deepen, increasing poverty and entrenching inequality. While some countries are recovering and rebuilding in a 'new normal', for too many, COVID-19 remains a catastrophe. The unequal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is putting entire communities at risk. And as new variants continue to emerge, children and their communities continue to face health risks. Increases in poverty have set back progress toward realizing children's rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Children's diets have deteriorated, and families struggle to find ways to find enough food and safe water for their children. By September 2021, schoolchildren around the world have lost an estimated 1.8 trillion hours of in-person learning due to COVID-related school closures, which will have profound long-term, unequal social and economic effects. Essential nutrition and health services such as routine immunization programmes and maternal and childcare continue to be disrupted. School closures, job losses among families and increased stress and anxiety have affected the mental health of children and young people. COVID-19 remains an urgent crisis for children that requires sustained, focused action. This report lays out the work in front of us by taking stock of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on children and the road to respond and recover to reimagine the future for every child. [This report was produced by UNICEF's Division of Global Communication and Advocacy.]

Significant progress has been made to close gender gaps in education over the last 25 years. Nevertheless, gender inequalities persist and education remains elusive for many girls. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that 11.2 million girls and young women may drop out or not have access to school due the pandemic. As the pandemic led to a surge in the use of digital technologies in education, it also revealed staggering gender gaps in access to and use of digital technology all around the world -- not just in contexts where there is no parity in education. Indeed, gender-based exclusion is present throughout the technological world. However, the pandemic showed that learning can occur anywhere and anytime. Innovative solutions are at our fingertips and we have an opportunity now to leverage global experience to deliver quality learning for girls, from high-tech to low-tech, to no-tech. This brief note highlights how United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will advance inclusive and transformative digital technology to enhance girls' learning and skills development for work and life.

This research takes a mixed methods and design-led approach to understand how adolescents in Southeast Asia interact and engage with the variety of content and platforms available online. The research aimed to understand whether adolescents are developing relevant 21st century and digital skills through online platforms, and whether and how online spaces are contributing to young people's sense of self-empowerment. The methodology included in-depth primary research conducted in four countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and secondary research in Viet Nam. It applies ethnographic, qualitative, quantitative, and digital methods of research to investigate the barriers and enablers that impact young people's online experiences, and identify future pathways that could help adolescents become active and contributing participants in the digital world. The research presents actionable recommendations related to skill development, online safety, digital engagement and others to support all adolescents, in particular the most vulnerable, to maximise their digital potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised huge concerns for the mental health of an entire generation of children. But the pandemic may represent only the tip of a mental health iceberg -- an iceberg we have ignored for far too long. For the first time, "The State of the World's Children" examines the mental health of children and adolescents. Against a backdrop of rising awareness of mental health issues, there is now a unique opportunity to promote good mental health for every child, protect vulnerable children and care for children facing the greatest challenges. Making that happen will require urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health across sectors -- not just in health -- to support proven interventions. It will also need societies to break the silence surrounding mental health, by addressing stigma, promoting understanding, and taking seriously the experiences of children and young people. [This report is produced by the Office of Global Insights and Policy. For "The State of the Worlds Children 2017: Children in a Digital World," see ED590013.]

This report, which has been developed through a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC) and UNICEF, aims to: (1) track the progress that African nations have made in education, especially in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) goals; (2) identify the challenges that African leaders and decision makers face in providing inclusive quality education, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) make recommendations that could help accelerate progress in education, and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from eroding the gains that have been made to date. The report relies primarily on data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and household surveys such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic Health Surveys (DHS). It is based on robust statistical analysis to illustrate the progress and challenges of education in Africa. The goal is to offer African leaders and decision makers a valuable, evidence-based snapshot of the state of education across the continent of Africa, and practical ideas that they can implement in their particular countries. [This report was jointly prepared with the African Union Commission.]

The rising number of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) and the growing duration of displacement have made building economic resilience a priority, particularly for young people. By 2019, the global population of FDPs had doubled to 80 million. The majority of FDPs (86 per cent) live in low- or middle-income countries where host communities are themselves affected by food insecurity, malnutrition and weak labour markets. Youth comprise a significant share of the forcibly displaced population. Half of all refugees are aged under 18, with young adults aged 18-24 constituting another 13 per cent of the total. In addition, there are nearly 10 million internally displaced persons between the ages of 15 and 24 full of hope but lack opportunities to realize their potential. Technology is playing a growing role to provide education, training and employment, including in humanitarian and migration responses. By driving a shift to online work and training on an unprecedented scale, albeit not universally, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the use of digital technologies in programmes that support school-to-work transition, including solutions focused on youth who are FDPs, in host communities, or are otherwise vulnerable. This report, funded in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands' PROSPECTS partnership, provides an overview of how digital technologies are being used to support youth's transition from school to work, 'learning to earning', in displaced and host communities. Based on a rapid analysis of emerging approaches and lessons in this burgeoning space, the report's purpose is to inspire concerted attention and action to ensure effectiveness and scale of such digital enablers. [This report was partially funded through the Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS), which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. For the Executive Summary, see ED627533. For the "Compendium of Solutions," see ED627535.]

The climate crisis is the defining human and child's rights challenge of this generation, and is already having a devastating impact on the well-being of children globally. Understanding where and how children are uniquely vulnerable to this crisis is crucial in responding to it. The Children's Climate Risk Index provides the first comprehensive view of children's exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change to help prioritize action for those most at risk and ultimately ensure today's children inherit a liveable planet. Utilizing high-resolution geographical data, this report provides new global evidence on how many children are currently exposed to a variety of climate and environmental hazards, shocks and stresses. Children's lack of access to essential services, such as in health, nutrition, education and social protection, makes them particularly susceptible. This report combines this growing body of new evidence with data on children's vulnerability to introduce the first comprehensive view of climate risk from a child's perspective.

There are an estimated 281 million international migrants. One in five is a young person and 36 million are children. Worldwide, more than 4 out of 10 forcibly displaced persons are younger than 18, with 33 million children living in forced displacement at the end of 2019 -- either as internally displaced persons within their country or abroad as refugees or asylum seekers. Young migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across continents represent a unique, untapped pool of talent, ideas, and entrepreneurship. Often resilient, motivated and with experience in overcoming adversity, they have the potential to help solve some of our greatest challenges. Powered by the voices of youth, this report harnesses the technology of U-Report to ask 8,764 young people on the move, aged between 14 and 24, if they felt heard and invited them to share their aspirations to learn and earn. According to this poll, nearly 40 per cent of young people on the move identify education and training as their biggest priorities, and 30 per cent prioritized looking for a job. As the examples in this report highlight, young people on the move are a force for success. But only by creating incentives and opportunities for them to fulfil their aspirations can we turn their passions, energy and hopes into something productive and empowering.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have collaborated in the third round of the Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures, administered by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and OECD to Ministry of Education officials. The questions covered four levels of education: preprimary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary. While the first two rounds of the survey were implemented during the periods May-June and July-October 2020, respectively, the third round was implemented during the period February-June 2021. In total, 143 countries responded to the questionnaire. Thirty-one countries submitted responses to the OECD ("OECD survey") and 112 countries responded to the UIS ("UIS survey"). Seven countries responded to both surveys. In these instances, the more complete set responses were used in analysis.

The future of an entire generation is at stake. Disruptions to education systems since early 2020 have already driven substantial losses and inequalities in learning, and this is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused abrupt and profound changes around the world. More than 1.6 billion children have lost instructional time for many months at a time, if not for much of the last year, and many children are still not back in school. However, simply reopening schools is not enough. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and catch-up after the pandemic. UNICEF, UNESCO and World Bank have joined forces focusing on three priorities that will enable all children to return to school safely and to learn in a supportive environment, which also addresses their health and psychosocial well-being and other needs. The three priorities include: (1) All children and youth are back in school and receive the tailored services needed to meet their learning, health, psychosocial well-being, and other needs; (2) All children receive support to catch up on lost learning; and (3) All teachers are prepared and supported to address learning losses among their students and to incorporate digital technology into their teaching. UNICEF, UNESCO and World Bank, as partners, will help countries achieve this mission by the end of 2021.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences for 550 million children under the age of 18. This UNICEF Child Alert examines how the disease and measures put in place to contain it are impacting the lives of children across the region, exacerbating existing threats like conflict, climate change and nutrition crises. The report urges governments and the international community to take concerted action to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and build a better world fit for children.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasizes that all children have the right to be full members of society, and be included in all forms of participation inside the home and out in the community. Unfortunately, many children with disabilities are not afforded this opportunity. Instead, they face many barriers that exclude them from society. Compared with other children, children with disabilities are less likely to receive an education, less likely to be employed as adults, more likely to be victims of violence, less likely to start their own families and participate in community events, and more likely to live in poverty. The exclusion of children with disabilities affects not only them, but imposes costs on the whole community. If these children lack the opportunity to be productive, society loses out on what they could have produced. The barriers faced by people with disabilities can also create more responsibilities for their family members, which can limit their opportunities to work or get an education. Moreover, the impact of exclusion extends beyond the economic cost. If people with disabilities are absent from public discourse, the community cannot benefit from their ideas. If they are excluded from political participation, the government cannot truly represent the interests of all citizens. A growing body of research suggests that the costs of exclusion are high. Fortunately, evidence also demonstrates that there are effective ways to ameliorate these costs. A strong case can be made for the social and economic benefits of inclusion. This paper is an effort to begin making that case.

"Growing Steady and Strong: Early Childhood Development Regional Guidance in East Asia and the Pacific" was developed against the backdrop of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis to support the country offices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in implementing the early childhood development (ECD) agenda as a key pillar for UNICEF in 2022-2025. It aims to provide a vision for action to UNICEF country offices in East Asia and the Pacific and other interested ECD partners and stakeholders to enhance the ECD policies and programmes in the region and position its importance in policymakers' plans for a brighter future. Chapter 1 describes the purpose and rationale of the document. Chapter 2 highlights East Asia and the Pacific system-wide advances as well as challenges in ECD systems strengthening and integrated national policies. Chapter 3 summarizes the direct impacts on young children and their families in the region amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected more than 150 million young children under 5 years of age. Finally, Chapter 4 details pathways to achieve the strategic vision of "Building back better for young children through ECD." The analysis suggests two key response pillars: systems strengthening and family and child-friendly policies. It also recommends five key policy actions. [Financial support for this document was provided by the Prudence Foundation.]

This executive summary of "Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support "Learning to Earning" for Displaced Youth" provides key insights and a roadmap for action from the full report, which itself provides an overview of how digital technologies are being used to support youth's transition from school to work, 'learning to earning', in displaced and host communities. Based on a rapid analysis of emerging approaches and lessons in this burgeoning space, the report's purpose is to inspire concerted attention and action to ensure effectiveness and scale of such digital enablers. [This executive summary and the accompanying full report were partially funded through the Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS), which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. For the full report, see ED627529. For the "Compendium of Solutions," see ED627535.]

This publication seeks to identify a series of considerations and approaches that should inform government decision-making regarding policies and procedures for the formative assessment of students in the context of remote (or hybrid) provision of educational services. Therefore, it is intended to inform and provide inputs for their deliberation when preparing guidelines and procedures to support teachers and others responsible for conducting formative assessment to measure the outcomes of the teaching-learning process. Such assessments are also valuable for collecting evidence that can be used to adjust practices linked to remote provision of education, taking into account students' diverse circumstances and living conditions, with emphasis on the most vulnerable.

After almost one year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, killing over 1 million people and putting futures into doubt, the impact of the virus on the world's children and young people is becoming clearer -- and increasingly alarming. Children face a trifecta of threats: direct consequences of the disease itself, interruption in essential services and increasing poverty and inequality. Unless the global community urgently changes priorities, the potential of this generation of young people may well be lost. This World Children's Day, UNICEF is taking stock of the global impact of COVID-19 on children and young people, laying out what is known from the latest available data and research, highlighting what is still unclear as well as the options for action, and urging the world to take bold and unprecedented steps to reimagine a better future for children. UNICEF is calling for "A Six-Point Plan to Protect our Children," a list of urgent actions to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic and a practical recovery plan to safeguard child rights now and to reimagine a better future. Children and young people will be living with the impacts of this pandemic for years to come. [This brief was produced by UNICEF Division of Communication's Global Content Strategy section in collaboration with Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring; Office of Research -- Innocenti; Programme Division; and the Office of Global Insight and Policy.]

Over 11 million cases of coronavirus have been reported in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than seven months after the first case hit Brazil, COVID-19 has deprived 97 per cent of the region's students of their normal schooling. Across the region, the prolonged closure of schools means that 137 million boys and girls continue to miss out on their education. For each individual child, this loss has damaging implications for his or her future. With each passing day of schools being closed, a generational catastrophe is unfolding, one that will lead to profound consequences for society as a whole. In other parts of the world, schools have gradually reopened, but in Latin America and the Caribbean, the vast majority of classrooms remain closed with no immediate prospect of reopening. This report discusses the following topics: (1) School closures in Latin America and the Caribbean region; (2) Risks associated with prolonged school closures; (3) UNICEF education response; (4) Preparing for school reopening; and (5) Call to Action.

This document highlights major points detailed in the the full report, "Towards an Equal Future: Reimagining Girls' Education through STEM." The following questions are addressed: (1) How is the learning crisis affecting girls? (2) Why is STEM learning so important for girls? (3) What are the gender disparities in STEM education? (4) Why are girls under-represented in STEM? and (5) How can we transform opportunities for girls through gender-responsive STEM education? A call to action concludes the report. [EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age (launched by ITU and four founding partners) assisted in the preparation of this report. For the full report, see ED627513.]