UNICEF warns of consequences of prolonged drop-outs and negative impact on children
"UNICEF is seriously concerned about the prolonged interruption of classes and calls for measures to be taken to enable primary and secondary school children to make up for lost education as soon as they return to school.. Missing must be compensated to avoid long-term damage to children's well-being and productivity.
For years, Northern Macedonia has been facing a learning crisis in which more than half of the students at the age of fifteen do not reach the basic levels of knowledge in reading and mathematics.. on top of that, no programs were introduced to compensate for the shortcomings in teaching caused by the closure of schools due to KOVID-19 and distance learning.
This school year, students have already missed two weeks of classes due to the late start of the school year. Now, with the prolonged teachers' strike entering its third and possibly fourth week, there is a possibility that the children will miss up to 6 weeks of classes in this school year and all this at a time when the knowledge lost due to KOVID had to be compensated.
Now, more than ever, we need to take steps to make up for lost knowledge and accelerate education reform so that the education crisis that preceded KOVID-19 can be addressed. If such measures are not taken immediately, the economic consequences of missing schooling will affect the reduced earnings in the lives of children of today's generation.. These losses not only have an ongoing negative impact on children, but will also affect their future lives and the future economic development of the country.
Immediately after returning to school, it is most important that teachers assess students' level of knowledge and provide them with instruction tailored to the needs and level of the child.. Measures such as extending the duration of teaching should be considered, organizing classes to make up for lost time, tailoring instruction to meet students' specific learning needs and emphasizing key skills acquisition. Graduates will need additional support to master the material in order to be able to continue their education at higher levels of education.
UNICEF calls on all participants in the negotiations on the salaries of educators to take into account the best interests of the child, to accept that the situation with the crisis in education is alarming and to find mutually acceptable solutions in order to prevent the creation of a future lost generation.. "