OECD Representative: “The price of each missed day of schooling will be very high for students”
This morning, Education Minister Raúl Figueroa and OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher participated in the ‘Open Schools: There’s Still Time’ seminar. The central theme was the importance of returning to the classroom in Chile, even just a few months before the school year ends.
This Tuesday, the ‘Open Schools: There’s Still Time’ seminar focused primarily on the importance of returning to the classroom in Chile. During the seminar, OECD Director of Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, was emphatic regarding the necessity of returning to the classroom as soon as possible, a position also supported by UNESCO and UNICEF. He also backed the Education Ministry’s efforts, noting that “nothing can replace teacher-student contact. Distance learning can for a time, but the price of each missed day of schooling will be very high for the students in our societies. Our societies are polarized because school closures have brought inequalities we have seen before.”
Global context
During his presentation, Schleicher analyzed the global context and explained that “1.5 billion students around the world were out of school. Some of them could continue their education, even with schools closed, through remote learning opportunities. However, when schools closed, many were excluded, particularly the most marginalized groups who did not have access to digital learning resources or who lacked the support, endurance and commitment necessary to learn on their own.”
Education Minister Raúl Figueroa added, “COVID has had a tremendously complex impact. As a country, we have had to start working under the idea that canceling classes cannot become a permanent measure. It is, by definition, a temporary measure. While necessary to mitigate the impact of COVID, the effects of the cancellation are extremely evident. The impact on students has also, unfortunately, been negative from a global perspective. That is why we have to continue making these efforts, set the goal of reopening schools and follow the example of countries in the northern hemisphere that have adopted a series of restrictive measures in the face of outbreaks, but kept schools open.”
The OECD Director of Education and Skills also recognized the important work teachers have done during the public health crisis, stating that “student wellbeing is at the heart of this. The sound strategies developed to support students affected by the crisis must not be overlooked. The role of the teacher has expanded as they act as tutors and designers of a changing environment. Their role is increasingly important and relevant.