Back to class, tenuously, as states begin reopening schools

According to UNESCO data, Covid-19 affected nearly 72 crore children worldwide in September 2020. The situation has improved since then. However, studies have shown that school closures have a negative impact on children on multiple levels.

When the pandemic struck in March last year, as many as 15 lakh schools were shuttered across India’s 28 states and eight union territories. Regardless of online schooling wherever possible, the closures left 28.60 crore students physically away from pre-primary to upper secondary classes.