As a preventive measure to curb the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools, universities and other education institutions have closed in most countries, affecting almost 90% of the global student population. While Member States work to ensure the continuity of learning through alternative delivery modalities, in parallel, they need to start anticipating and preparing for school reopening.
Ministries of Education (MOEs), in consultation with Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and other key public and private institutions, are in charge of planning for school reopening, prioritizing the safety and protection of learners, teachers and other personnel, as well as their health – physical, mental and psychosocial, well-being and social relationships. Back-to-school strategies need to focus on assessing and ensuring the readiness of the education system for school reopening; the continuity of learning; and, system resilience to anticipate and deal with future crises. MOEs will also need to anticipate and prepare for additional challenges resulting from the direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 and prolonged social isolation, on both the education system and on the school community. These include increased risk of dropout, the exacerbation of existing and new inequalities, or the loss of education personnel.
Despite the great challenges presented by this crisis,the situation also offersthe opportunity to rethink the overall purpose, role, content and delivery of education in the long term, and prepare education systems to deal with current and future crises through comprehensive and inter-sectoral approaches and by tapping into collective experience and practices from around the world.
The cost of child undernutrition to the Kenya’s economy is 373.9 billion shillings, which represents a loss of 6.9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at 2014, this is according to a study.
The study dubbed “ Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) – Kenya chapter touches directly on three sectors of the economy namely Health, Education and Labor productivity and using 2014 as a reference period shows that Hunger is one of the root causes of malnutrition in Kenya as well as Africa with the negative impact on children under five years.
The report says that despite Kenya having made progress in reducing stunting in children from a high of 33 percent in 1994 to 26 percent in 2014, stunting rates are still high since it affects 1 in every four children under 5 years.
In a speech read by the Cabinet Secretary for Health Sicily Kariuki, on behalf of President Uhuru Kenyatta, during the release of the Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) Kenya Study report on Thursday, the President said scale up and diverse financing for good nutrition for a healthy and productive nation should be a priority to address the challenges associated with malnutrition.
He therefore said there is need to work together and put in place a comprehensive mechanism to address challenges of child undernutrition.
He also called for strengthening of existing public private partnership in the implementation of the policy recommendations from the study
The President noted that the challenges associated with malnutrition have led to the need for focus and emphasis on nutrition as part of the development effort in the World.
“Recognizing that Children are the greatest asset of our Nation, My Government is committed to ending child undernutrition,” he said.
Child undernutrition and in particular stunting in children has a negative impact on productivity at a much later stage in life. Kenya has reduced stunting in children from a high of 33% in 1994 to 26% in 2014.
“As a Government, we are committed to reducing the stunting rates to 14.5% by 2030,” the President said and thanked all the development partners, who have walked with the government on the journey of ensuring that children have a brighter tomorrow.
Speaking during the release of the report, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Amb. Ukur Yatani who was represented by Albert Mwenda, Director General, Budget, Fiscal and Economic Affairs said hunger is unacceptable and must be eradicated especially in Africa.
“In 2018, the number of people who were hungry globally stood at 821.6 Million, which implies that one person in nine people, suffers from hunger. Approximately 31 percent of the World hungry people come from Africa, “he noted..
The economic impact of child undernutrition on the health sector therefore is at KSh. 18.6 Billion, representing 0.3 percent of our GDP as at 2014 he noted.
Based on the findings, the CS said that COHA Kenya National Implementation Team will strengthen the implementation of the nutrition component within the community health strategy, disseminate and implement comprehensive school health and nutrition programme and also integrate nutrition as targeting component in social protection programmes for the highly vulnerable populations.
The Council of Governors (CoG) representative, Transzoia CEC Mary Nzomo said, the report will be useful for the national and county planning and budgeting process as well as offer important source of data in the mid -term review of the county integrated development plans and their implementation and the big four agenda of 100 percent food and nutrition security.
The COHA study estimates the social and economic impact of child undernutrition and provides evidence based analysis on cost of hunger geared towards implementing strategies that eradicate child undernutrition in the country.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/child-undernutrition-costing-kenyas-economy-ksh-373b-study/
América del Norte/Canada/Audrey McKinnon · CBC News
Resumen: Después de semanas de cabildeo por parte de los padres y el presidente de la Junta Escolar de Prince George, el BCMinisterio de Educación ha publicado un informe sobre la educación rural que previamente se había ocultado a la vista pública. La madre Trudy Klassen acusó al gobierno de «enterrar» el informe después de que su solicitud fue rechazada en virtud de la Ley de Libertad de Información y Protección de la Privacidad. En febrero, el Ministerio de Educación dijo que el informe estaba siendo retenido por una variedad de razones, incluida la divulgación que sería «perjudicial para los intereses financieros o económicos de un organismo público». El 9 de marzo, el informe completo se publicó en borrador y el Ministerio de Educación dijo que «siempre» había planeado publicar la información. «Tenerlo disponible para que todos lo vean es muy importante», dijo Klassen. Klassen vive en Salmon Valley, una pequeña comunidad en el norte de Columbia Británica cerca de Prince George que perdió su escuela primaria en 2010.
After weeks of lobbying from parents and the chair of the Prince George School Board, the B.C.Ministry of Education has released a report on rural education that was previously withheld from public view.
Parent Trudy Klassen accused the government of «burying» the report after her request for it was refused under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
B.C. parent accuses province of burying rural education report after Freedom of Information request denied
In February, the Ministry of Education said the report was being withheld for a variety of reasons including that disclosure would be «harmful to the financial or economic interests of a public body.»
On March 9, the entire report was released in draft form and the Ministry of Education said it had «always» planned to release the information.
A draft of the Rural Education Report was released March 9, one month after the B.C. Ministry of Education said it would be withheld. (Ministry of Education)
«Having it available for everyone to take a look at is very important,» Klassen said. Klassen lives in Salmon Valley, a small northern B.C. community near Prince George that lost its elementary school in 2010.
Rural schools face many challenges
Her community participated in the creation of the Rural Education Report and Klassen looked forward to seeing how other rural communities handled the challenges schools outside of city centres face.
The report points to seven key areas in which rural schools struggle, such as having limited access to quality educational programs, difficulties with staffing and human resources, the deteriorating state of school facilities and school closures.
«This isn’t an isolated problem. It’s not a small problem,» Klassen said. «There has to be a co-ordinated cross-governmental strategy and policy changes in order for rural education to be able to thrive.»
Prince George School Board chair Tim Bennett said the report will be put to good use, now that it’s public.
«We’re just glad this report is recommending ways to ensure that schools stay vibrant in those communities,» he said.
Bennett said he will encourage the government to follow the report’s 20 recommendations.
They include developing local action plans in rural school districts to meet their needs and creating a more flexible capital funding criteria.
To see the report: http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/4411779/Draft-Rural-Education-Report-2017.pdf
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