News & Analysis: Education

Countering COVID-19 Misinformation in Africa

“Beyond spotting viral misinformation and disinformation, it is essential to provide content that works to counter these rumors and to spread trustworthy information.”

via Think Global Health

What Happened to Senegalese Students after the COVID-19 School Closure?

“Although the dropout rate has remained stable, repetition rates have increased significantly in Senegal. The high repetition rate is concerning, first because it translates to a lack of learning, and second because it will increase the age range of students in the next cohort.”

via Center for Global Development

Seychelles: World’s Most Vaccinated Nation Activates Curbs as Cases Rise

“Seychelles, which has fully vaccinated more of its population against COVID-19 than any other country, has closed schools and canceled sporting activities for two weeks as infections surge.”

via Bloomberg

Education must be a crisis priority, not an afterthought

“COVID-19 has created enormous disruptions in the lives of African youth. Millions of young people have had their learning put on hold for the better part of a year. And unlike in more developed regions, the vast majority of students in Africa, up to about 80 percent, don’t have access to the internet, making remote learning all but impossible in most areas.”

via How We Made It In Africa

Surviving lockdown in the Central African Republic

“The food insecurity brought about by the COVID-19 measures was devastating and compounded an already precarious situation.”

via Norwegian Refugee Council

In Ghana, fears over pandemic rise in teenage pregnancies

“Activists estimate that nearly one woman in seven in the country becomes pregnant before the age of 19. And, they say, anecdotal evidence suggests the numbers soared last year after the authorities closed schools to help curb the spread of COVID-19.”

via AFP

Inequality warning: The pandemic’s impact on education

“Access to education has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments across southern Africa closed down educational institutions for the greater part of 2020. At the beginning of 2021, we are beginning to see some of the costs.”

via Daily Maverick

Battling misinformation wars in Africa: Applying lessons from GMOs to COVID-19

“The flood of misinformation around vaccines evokes an eerie sense of déjà vu. It is reminiscent of the aggressively anti Genetically Modified Organism campaign that has stalled Africa’s efforts to improve the productivity and nutrition of key crops over the past three decades.”

via The Conversation

Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery: Can Technology Alone Lift African Economies?

Professor Danny Leipziger of George Washington University discusses the role of technology in shaping the future of Sub-Saharan Africa after the COVID-19 pandemic.

via COVID-19 Africa Watch

The SDGs are our compass for bolstering Africa’s long-term COVID-19 recovery

“COVID-19 presents us with an opportunity to re-imagine a better future through our response—a fairer and more equal world. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063, remains the best framework for doing just that.”

via Brookings Institution