Pacific Education: Many of Pacific students are still unable to return to school

Many of these students are still unable to return to school for a variety of reasons.

In Papua New Guinea, although the nationwide lockdown - which affected 2.4 million students - was lifted in May, some schools have chosen not to reopen because of the escalating #COVID19 cases. Many families are mitigating their financial hardship by sending none or only one of their children to school.

In Fiji, schools remain closed while its education ministry tries to support learning through various digital means and circulated worksheets.

These affected learners make up the 752 million learners in the Asia Pacific region whose schools have been forced to close. This is more than 85% of the region's total student population.