Recovering learning and addressing the learning crisis by promoting well-being and addressing violence in Asia and Pacific
COVID-19 revealed both weaknesses and opportunities within the education system worldwide. School closures across East Asia and the Pacific deepened the learning crisis, with some children losing more than a year of learning. They also increased children’s risk of experiencing violence, including gender-based violence, exploitation and abuse and heightened mental health risks, with many children and adolescents experiencing extreme stress, social isolation and economic distress.
Violence impacts students' attendance and completion rates, as well as learning outcomes. Children cannot effectively learn when under stress or in fear of violence.
Failing to address and prevent violence and ensure well-being will undermine investment in the learning recovery agenda and impact progress towards SDG 4. It is imperative that violence and mental health risks are tackled as part of, and integrated in the learning recovery agenda and as part of longer-term measures to respond to the learning crisis.
The Ministry of Education of Thailand, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, UNESCO and UNICEF have joined forces to host the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Minister’s Conference - to discuss progress made towards SDG4 in the region and determine priority actions towards building an effective learning recovery strategy and developing resilient, transformative education systems.
In line with the conference theme on learning recovery and responding to the learning crisis, regional offices of UNICEF, together with the Safe to Learn global initiative, UNFPA, UNESCO, UN Women, WHO, Plan International are co-convening a side event on ‘Recovering learning and addressing the learning crisis by promoting well-being and addressing violence in Asia and Pacific’. The event aims to raise awareness of and present the latest evidence on the critical connection between children's learning and their mental health and protection from all forms of violence. It will bring together diverse experts to provide guidance and pragmatic recommendations on effective strategies for promoting mental health and tackling and preventing violence through learning recovery efforts.