As per the World Bank‘s global education director Jaime Saavedra, there is no explanation at the present for shutting schools in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Even if there are new waves, shutting schools should be the last resort, said Jaime.
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The influence of coronavirus on the education industry has been studied by Saavedra’s team. The team said there is no proof that reopening schools has caused a rise in coronavirus cases and that schools are unsafe places.
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He also said that it doesn’t make any understanding from the public-policy view to wait till all the children are vaccinated as there is no scientific evidence behind it.
There is no proof relating the opening of schools and coronavirus spread. Even if there are new waves of coronavirus, shutting schools should be the last resort, said Saavedra to a news agency in an interview from Washington.
He also added that it does not make any sense to allow restaurants, bars, and shopping malls open but schools keep shut. As per the different simulations by the World Bank, health risks for children if schools are opened are less and the closure cost is quite huge.
A report released by the World Bank Education in 2020 titled ‘Beaten or Broken? Informality and Covid-19 in South Asia’, had estimated that the long-term closure of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic in India may lead to a loss of more than USD 400 billion in India’s future earnings.
Thus, it is completely up to parents and children that they opt for online education or take the risk of going to schools and attending physical classes. Although learning loss may be morally not acceptable, the potential impact on future productivity, earnings, and health of the future children and youth may concern people.
