Education on Hold: A Generation of Children in Latin America and the Caribbean Are Missing out on Schooling Because of COVID-19

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.