Significant Drop in School Attendance in the Region
A survey conducted by the World Bank has revealed a significant fall-off in school attendance throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the survey, following the sudden massive shutdown of school systems across LAC, the share of students getting some form of education — either in-person or remote — was 12 per cent lower on average from May to July 2021 than in February 2020.
In Jamaica, the percentage of children missing out on education was much higher — about 22 per cent.
Guyana had the greatest attendance loss in the region, with 34 per cent of children getting no form of schooling.
St. Lucia had less than a 10 per cent fall-off in education, while Chile had the least loss in the region at only one per cent.
This was among the findings of a series of High-Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS) done in two waves in 2021, wave one taking place between May and September, and wave two between October and December.
Just last month, the Ministry of Education here announced an extension of the ongoing academic year to compensate for time lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Permanent Secretary Lyston Skerritt said students did not take full advantage of the remote learning and learning packages put in place by the Ministry during the height of the pandemic.
This he said, led to students being behind on their curriculum.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Lyston Skerritt
The academic year, which was scheduled to end early July, will now conclude July 29th.