Reopening Schools in Latin America and the Caribbean: Key points, challenges, and dilemmas to plan a safe return to in-person classes

The suspension of in-person classes as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected the education systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and compromised the achievements reached around the goals established in the SDG-4-Education 2030 Agenda. The most vulnerable people have been the most affected by the pandemic, which has widened pre-existing gaps.profoundly affected the education systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and compromised the achievements reached around the goals established in the SDG4-Education 2030 Agenda. The most vulnerable people have been the most affected by this situation, which widened the preexisting gaps. The countries of the region have carried out great efforts to guarantee the continuity of learning. However, these have been limited by the challenges that this unprecedented crisis brought, aggravated by conditions in access to infrastructure and other resources thaaffect broad sectors of the population.

This report analyzes the possibilities, restrictions and needs that the countries of the countries of the region will face during the process of returning to in-person classes, considering five dimesnsions:

1.  Safe schools (school infrastructure, access to water and santitation);
2. Human resources (principles and teachers)
3. Access to ITC and connectivity;
4. Education financing;
5. Information and planning